Seven governments condemned Israel's Aug. 19 E1 settlement tender on Aug. 20.
Why it matters: The rebuke adds pressure from several of Israel's closest Western partners over a project in a strategically sensitive area east of Jerusalem. Officials say building there could complicate West Bank contiguity and a future two-state solution.
- The UK Foreign Office said on Aug. 19 it condemned Israel's tender for the E1 settlement project and summoned Israel's Chargé d'Affaires.
- On Aug. 20, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands and Norway jointly urged Israel to retract the tender.
- Canada and other partners warned on May 22, 2025, that E1 would divide the West Bank in two and breach international law.
- The sources describe E1 as a plan for more than 1,200 homes east of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank.
The UK, France, Germany, Italy and Canada joined a broader allied rebuke of Israel's E1 settlement tender, alongside the Netherlands and Norway. The UK Foreign Office said on Aug. 19 that it condemned Israel's launch of a tender for E1, summoned Israel's Chargé d'Affaires and warned the move would endanger the viability of a two-state solution in its official statement.
On Aug. 20, the seven governments issued a joint condemnation and urged Israel to retract the tender immediately. Their statement is available directly from the Canadian government: joint statement. Australia also said separately that it was concerned about the announcement, according to the statement.
The E1 area is described in the sources as a site east of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, with the tender tied to more than 1,200 homes. The governments said development there could affect territorial contiguity in the West Bank and make a future Palestinian state harder to organize geographically.
The issue is not new. On May 22, 2025, Canada and other partners warned that E1 would divide the West Bank in two and amount to a serious breach of international law, in a statement from Global Affairs Canada: May 22 statement.
No Israeli response was included in the provided sources.
By the numbers
- 7 - governments that jointly condemned the Aug. 19 E1 tender on Aug. 20.
- 1,200+ - homes described in the sources as part of the E1 project.
- May 22, 2025 - date of the earlier warning from Canada and other partners.
Yes, but: No Israeli response was included in the provided sources.