Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has condemned the E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank, calling Israel’s move to seek construction bids for 1,200 homes an ‘unacceptable and destructive act’ and demanding the tender be retracted immediately.
The Israeli housing ministry issued the tender for 1,234 of the 3,401 housing units approved by the Israeli government in August 2025, according to BBC News. The programme covers about 12 sq km of land between East Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim in territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
UK Opposition to E1 Settlement Project
Miliband said the UK’s position on the E1 settlement project had been made clear both publicly and privately. He said he had told Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, that the Israeli government must ‘halt E1 plans immediately, retract the tender and stop all settlement expansion’.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office also summoned Israel’s chargé d’affaires, the country’s most senior diplomat in the UK, to set out Britain’s ‘profound objection to this move’.
Miliband said the UK remained committed to a two-state solution ‘as the only way to ensure long-term security and peace for both Palestinians and Israelis’. He added: ‘All settlements damage that prospect and are a flagrant breach of international law.’
He warned that in the coming weeks the UK would announce a series of measures ‘to respond to Israeli government policies, protect the viability of the Palestinian state, target sanctions at those who participate in illegal settlement expansion and support a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians’.
Sa’ar Hits Back at ‘Patronising’ UK Stance
Sa’ar rejected Miliband’s statement in full, accusing him of being ‘entirely one-sided’ and objecting to what he called the ‘patronising tone of his words’. Writing on X, he said: ‘It is absurd for Britain to lecture the Jewish people about where they may live in their historic tiny homeland, when the Jewish people’s connection and right to this land is the most extensively documented of any people in human history.’
Sa’ar also disputed the framing of the tender as a new development, stating: ‘There have been no new decisions regarding development in E1. The decision was made on 2025. The tender process has been under way for several months, with certain tender documents published only in recent days.’
He accused the UK of contributing to antisemitic hatred and attacks against the British Jewish community through its policy of ‘blaming only Israel while ignoring Palestinian extremism’. He added: ‘The UK government’s decision to damage the relationship between our countries is deeply unfortunate. But Israel will not be a passive victim of this policy. Israel will defend its rights, its interests and its people.’
France, Germany and Italy Join Condemnation
Later on the same day, the UK was joined by France, Germany and Italy in a joint statement urging Israel to ‘retract’ the plans. The four governments also warned businesses directly against bidding for construction tenders, citing legal and reputational risks.
The joint statement said: ‘International law is clear that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. At a time of grave instability in the West Bank with unprecedented levels of violence by settlers against civilians, and serious restrictions on the Palestinian economy, this decision is even more concerning.’
The statement continued: ‘We urge the government of Israel to retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Businesses should not consider bidding for construction tenders. They should be aware of legal and reputational consequences including the risk of involving themselves in serious breaches of international law.’
According to RFI, bids for the tender remain open until 19 October, eight days before Israel’s general election. The E1 settlement project has long been considered one of the most geographically contentious of the Israeli settlement programmes, given that the area it covers lies directly between East Jerusalem and Maale Adumim, a configuration critics say would effectively sever the West Bank from East Jerusalem and undermine the territorial basis for a Palestinian state.
Miliband said the UK would not ‘stand back and accept the destruction of the two-state solution’, and the Foreign Office has indicated that further announcements on measures targeting settlement expansion are expected within weeks.
