British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has strongly criticized Israel's decision to advance plans for a controversial settlement project in the West Bank, labeling it an "unacceptable and destructive act." The tender publication for the E1 settlement project, located east of Jerusalem, risks severing the West Bank from East Jerusalem and imperiling the viability of a two-state solution, Miliband stated.
Settlement development in the E1 area has been under consideration for over two decades. International consensus widely regards Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank as illegal and a significant obstacle to peace.
Miliband announced that the UK will introduce measures in the coming weeks to respond to Israeli policies. The Foreign Office also summoned Israel's charge d'affaires to convey the UK's "profound objection to this move."
"This Israeli Government's publication of a tender for the E1 settlement project is an unacceptable and destructive act," Miliband said in a statement. "E1 would cut across the heart of Palestine and risks separating the West Bank from East Jerusalem, which would endanger the viability of a two-state solution. The UK has been clear privately and publicly in our opposition to E1 and our support for a two-state solution as the only way to ensure long-term security and peace for both Palestinians and Israelis. All settlements damage that prospect and are a flagrant breach of international law."
He further emphasized that the Israeli government "must halt E1 plans immediately, retract the tender and stop all settlement expansion." Miliband also highlighted the "catastrophic" impact of settler violence on Palestinian communities and stated that settlement expansion threatens peace and the prospects for a viable Palestinian state. "Britain will not stand back and accept the destruction of the two-state solution," he added.
However, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar rejected Miliband's remarks, accusing him of being "entirely one-sided" and criticizing the "patronising tone" of his words. Sa'ar posted on X that it is "absurd for Britain to lecture the Jewish people about where they may live in their historic tiny homeland." He asserted that no new decisions regarding E1 development had been made, with the original decision dating back to 2025 and the tender process ongoing for several months.
Sa'ar also contended that the UK's policy of "blaming only Israel while ignoring Palestinian extremism" contributes to antisemitic hatred and attacks against the British Jewish community. He concluded that while the UK government's decision to damage bilateral relations is unfortunate, "Israel will not be a passive victim of this policy. Israel will defend its rights, its interests and its people."