Former European officials urge EU action against E1 settlement project

Approximately 500 former European leaders, diplomats, and officials have issued a formal appeal to the European Union, calling for immediate intervention to halt the Israeli E1 settlement project in the occupied West Bank. The appeal, published in the French newspaper Libération on October 5, 2026, highlights the urgency of the situation as the Israeli government prepares to award contracts for the first phase of the expansion.

Signatories include prominent figures such as former French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, former French Prime Minister Alain Juppé, and former Prime Ministers Massimo D'Alema of Italy, Yves Leterme of Belgium, and Stefan Löfven of Sweden. Former European Parliament Presidents Josep Borrell and Enrique Barón Crespo are also among those demanding action. The contested plan involves the construction of over 1,200 housing units near Jerusalem.

Although the project was frozen for decades, it was approved by the Israeli government last year. The signatories warn that the tender process for the initial phase of the settlement, which they label illegal, is expected to commence within the next few weeks. The group urges the European Union to exert diplomatic pressure to prevent the implementation of the project, which has faced significant international criticism.