US lawmakers seek sanctions for Israel’s ‘E1’ West Bank settlement plan

Project would effectively cleave Palestinian territory in half and has prompted widespread international condemnation.A group of lawmakers in the United States Senate are seeking sanctions against facilitators of Israel’s controversial “E1” settlement programme.The legislation, set to be introduced on Wednesday, calls for punitive actions against individuals and groups that support the settlement project, which would link the Ma’ale Adumim and other illegal Israeli settlements to occupied East Jerusalem.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Why is Israel building new illegal settlements?list 2 of 3E1 settlement: Why Netanyahu, Israel’s right might not mind global outragelist 3 of 3As the UK sanctions Israeli settlements, is the two-state solution dead?end of listThe plan would completely sever East Jerusalem, long seen as the capital of a future Palestinian state, from the West Bank, while effectively cleaving the overall territory in two. The project, if completed, has been seen by supporters and detractors alike as a death blow to future Palestinian statehood.Ten Democrats were expected to co-sponsor the bill, which was spearheaded by Chris Coons of ‌Delaware, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Ruben Gallego of Arizona.“As Palestinian civilians face a campaign of devastation and fear from violent extremist settlers, the United States must send a strong message that this behaviour is unacceptable and that it remains committed to freedom, security, prosperity and self-determination for all Israelis and Palestinians,” Coons said in a statement provided to the Reuters news agency.The move is yet another indication of growing discontent among some US lawmakers over Israel’s policies towards the occupied Palestinian territory, including its genocidal war in Gaza and the state-backed expansion of illegal settlements across the West Bank, where settler pogroms, often under the protection of Israeli forces, has surged in recent years.The criticism has been particularly acute among Democrats, who are seeking to take control of both the US House of Representatives and the Senate in the midterm elections in November. A handful of Republicans have also increasingly questioned the close ties between the US and Israel and the unconditional military aid provided by Washington.