Jerusalem (EFE).- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Thursday that the expansion of the Maale Adumim settlement in the occupied West Bank confirms his vision that there will “without doubt never be a Palestinian state.”
“What we are doing here is fulfilling a vision,” Netanyahu said during a ceremony marking the agreement to expand Maale Adumim, one of the largest Israeli settlements.
“It is not a biblical promise, but a current one: we said there would not be a Palestinian state, and without doubt there will not be a Palestinian state,” he added.
The Prime Minister signed a framework deal with the Mayor of Maale Adumim to build new housing on land north of the settlement, known as E1. “This land is ours,” Netanyahu declared.
He celebrated that the expansion will allow the settlement’s population, currently around 40,000, to grow to 70,000 over the next five years.
Quoting scripture, Netanyahu said: “The Bible says: ‘As Jerusalem has mountains around it.’ It’s a simple grammatical mistake. As Jerusalem has cities around it.”
Expansion in controversial E1 area
Maale Adumim, located just east of Jerusalem, is the largest settlement in the West Bank by territory and one of the most populous.
The new plan involves building more than 3,000 homes in E1, a highly sensitive area.
Palestinians and human rights organizations warn that expansion there will further isolate East Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank, surrounding it with Israeli construction.
Critics argue that the project will also break up the north-south continuity of the West Bank, undermining the territorial unity needed for a future Palestinian state and deepening Israel’s occupation.
International law and global criticism
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that Israel’s presence in the West Bank is illegal.
The court has called on Israel to evacuate settlers, dismantle settlements, allow Palestinians to return to their lands, and remove the separation barrier that fragments the territory.
Palestinian leaders and rights groups condemned the approval of the E1 project, calling it a direct blow to the possibility of a two-state solution.
Despite international objections, Netanyahu said the expansion would continue: “This is the realization of our vision,” he insisted, underscoring that settlement growth remains a cornerstone of his government’s policy. EFE
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