E1: The Race to Divide the West Bank with Hagit Ofran
In the inaugural episode of PeaceMatters, Peace Now Settlement Watch director Hagit Ofran joins CFPN National Chair Gabriella Goliger to explain why E1 is no ordinary settlement plan. Building east of Jerusalem could sever the northern West Bank from the south, displace Palestinian communities and make a viable two-state future far harder to achieve. They discuss the government’s race to create irreversible facts on the ground before Israel’s election, the machinery of de facto annexation, Israeli attitudes toward settlements and why international pressure, including from Canada, matters. Update: On August 18, the Israeli government opened bidding for 1,234 housing units in E1. The tender closes October 19, eight days before Israelis vote. Learn more from Canadian Friends of Peace Now and Shalom Achshav. Subscribe to PeaceMatters wherever you listen. If you value this work, please support Canadian Friends of Peace Now.
