Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) spearheaded a letter to the Israeli government calling for the cancellation of its plans to proceed with the E1 program.
The E1 Program
The E1 program is a proposed project to build approximately 1,200 settler homes in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) that has never been realized due to concerns of increasing tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, since the E1 zone would split the region in half.
Opposition to the construction has been longstanding and widespread, with the United Kingdom recently threatening to impose sanctions on Israel if it moved forward with it, which earned the condemnation of State Representative David Livingston (R-28) on Wednesday.
What the Letter Says
Still, Sen. Gallego's letter points out that "construction in the E1 area would sever East Jerusalem from major Palestinian population centers and make a viable contiguous Palestinian state under a two-state solution far harder to achieve."
He emphasized that "for decades, Republican and Democratic administrations have recognized that development in E1 would seriously jeopardize the prospects for a Palestinian state. That concern remains just as urgent today."
As a result, Sen. Gallego argued that "without a change in course, Israel risks weakening its international standing and undermining its prospects for long-term security."
"We also urge the Trump administration to make full use of its existing authorities, including targeted sanctions on individuals and entities," the letter concluded. "The United States must remain committed to a two-state solution that delivers lasting peace and security for both the Jewish, democratic State of Israel and for a future Palestinian state. Construction in E1 would take us further away from that goal."
Settler Violence
The Arizona Senator's letter also makes note of increasing settler violence in the region, which Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ) previously condemned in March, saying, "These attacks deserve clear condemnation as acts of terrorism, and I strongly condemn them as such. Those responsible must be held fully accountable, because without real consequences, this pattern of violence will continue."
