European Council warns companies over involvement in Israel's E1 settlement construction

WEST BANK — The European Council on Friday warned companies they could face "legal, economic and reputational consequences" if they become involved in construction of the E1 settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to Middle East Eye.

The outlet described the warning as a major intervention. It said the statement came from the body that sets the political direction of the European Union. It also said the warning came days before a 19 October deadline for bids in one of the E1 construction tenders.

The council's call on Israel

According to Middle East Eye, the European Council also urged Israel to change course. The outlet quoted the council as calling on "Israel to immediately reverse the expansion of settlements, which are illegal under international law, including by withdrawing its tender for construction in the E1 area."

Middle East Eye's report did not say which companies, if any, are considering bids. It did not name any firms that the warning may be aimed at. It also did not say how the "legal, economic and reputational consequences" would be applied.

The report did not include a response from the Israeli government to the European Council's statement. Middle East Eye also did not say whether any company had commented on the warning.

The timing of the tender

Middle East Eye reported that the warning came shortly before the bid deadline on 19 October. The outlet referred to "one of the E1 settlement construction tenders", which suggests more than one tender is linked to the project. The report did not give details of the other tenders.

The report did not say how many companies have shown interest in the tender or what the value of the contract is. Those details remain unconfirmed in the material available.

Background

According to Middle East Eye, the Israeli government's E1 plan involves building thousands of new housing units between Jerusalem and the existing West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim. The outlet said Maale Adumim lies 7km east of the city.

Middle East Eye said the plan aims to link settlements in the West Bank with occupied East Jerusalem. The outlet said it would effectively cut the West Bank in half and make a Palestinian state unviable. That assessment was presented in Middle East Eye's own reporting. The outlet did not attribute it to a named official or analyst.

The European Council, in the words reported by Middle East Eye, described settlements as illegal under international law. The outlet's report did not set out the legal basis for that position or cite any specific ruling or treaty.

Middle East Eye also linked to an earlier report of its own, which it headlined as a European Council warning to companies not to finance Israel's E1 West Bank settlement construction. The summary available did not give the contents of that earlier article.

All details in this report come from a single source, Middle East Eye, and have not been independently confirmed by Zenga News. The full text of the European Council statement was not part of the material reviewed.