Smotrich pushes E1 settlement tender before Israeli vote

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday demanded that a planned tender for 2,167 settlement units in the E1 area east of occupied East Jerusalem go ahead before next month's Knesset election.

Legal adviser delays bidding

The Israeli government's legal adviser, Gali Baharav-Miara, ordered the bidding deadline pushed back by one month, according to the Israeli news website Kikar HaShabbat, a move that places further steps in the tender beyond the Oct. 27 vote. The report said the decision was intended to prevent government action that could interfere with the election period.

Smotrich cries foul

Smotrich called for the delay to be overturned, contending that the tender belongs to a process set in motion long before the election campaign began. He also accused Baharav-Miara of meddling in the vote and of acting in favor of Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot, who has opposed the E1 construction plan. "Stopping the tender turns the issue into part of the election campaign," Smotrich said, according to Israel's Channel 7. He vowed not to let the postponement stand.

E1 project and settlement expansion

Israeli authorities had intended to open bids for the 2,167 units on Oct. 25. A separate tender for 1,234 units was issued in August, lifting the total under the E1 project to 3,401 units. The E1 plan seeks to link the illegal Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim with occupied East Jerusalem through Palestinian land, a project long opposed by Palestinians and widely criticized internationally.