Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett instructed the planning committee for Judea and Samaria to stop all discussions on building E-1, the corridor connecting Jerusalem to the city of Maaleh Adumim by the Jordan Valley. The plan involved building 3,500 apartment units on about three acres of land.

Along with the Meretz party, which is part of the government coalition, the pressure to stop the construction also came from Washington Israel Hayom. reports.

The plan was initially drawn up by former Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin but has been delayed for several decades due to political considerations. Many claim that it will sever any chances of a future potential Palestinian State.

The Israeli interest in building E1 is to create a security buffer from Jerusalem to Maale Adumim. The European Union is also opposed to the plan.

Jerusalem is concerned by the defensive repercussions of illegal Arab building between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim, which is seen as a security threat that could prevent Jerusalem from expanding eastward. Israel also fears that continued unlawful construction of the Jerusalem-Jericho highway will inhibit the IDF’s mobilization eastward in case of a war.

The E1 plan has been on the table during the reign of eight successive Prime Ministers as a means of connecting Jerusalem to Maale Adumim and annexing the area under full Israeli sovereignty.