By now, many of us have become accustomed to the seemingly relentless escalations in the occupied West Bank. Almost daily, we hear of violent settler attacks against Palestinian communities, amid record levels of forced displacement, home demolitions, illegal outpost construction and arbitrary arrests. We must never accept this as normal, so consumed by the latest outrage that we lose sight of what these escalating, incremental developments amount to. For behind the daily violence and dispossession, Israel has been entrenching its control over Palestinian land, destroying the territorial basis for a two-state solution, piece by piece, until it is too late to reverse.

Nothing illustrates this more starkly than the E1 settlement project. The project would place thousands of settlement homes in a strategically critical area of the occupied West Bank, severing East Jerusalem from the rest of the territory and making a future contiguous Palestinian state near impossible. Indeed, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has openly said that the intention is to “bury” hopes for a Palestinian state. After decades in which E1 construction has been threatened but held back by international pressure, the project is fast approaching a point of no return, with the process of awarding construction contracts now imminent.  

In August, the Israeli Housing Ministry issued a tender for the first 1,234 of the 3,401 housing units approved for construction in the E1 area. The Israeli Attorney General has since delayed the opening of bids until after the 27 October elections. This is a delay, not a cancellation. The project remains active, and once contracts are awarded, construction will become inevitable. The coming weeks are therefore critical.

The UK has already recognised the need for stronger action. In his 8 September ministerial statement, Ed Miliband confirmed that that the UK will sanction individuals and companies that support, facilitate or profit from illegal settlements, including businesses or investors that take part in the construction of the E1 settlement.  The government also coordinated with allies on a joint statement making clear that business should avoid bidding for E1 construction tenders, or risk facing legal and reputational consequences. 

Although we cannot know the precise cause, international pressure is likely to have played a role in the decision to delay E1 construction until after the Israeli election. That is why the pressure must now be intensified, not relaxed. All those committed to preventing the devastating impact of E-1 on the two-state solution must redouble their efforts and amplify their demands. A cascade of international statements, backed by credible threats of sanctions, could well prove decisive.

The return of Parliament this week provides an opportunity to build on the strong work Liberal Democrat MPs have already done to highlight the threat posed by E1. MPs should press the government to reiterate its commitment to sanctioning companies involved in E1, encourage allies to make similar commitments, and make clear that Israeli banks guaranteeing bids for the tenders risk jeopardising their business interests in the UK and elsewhere. 

The new UK measures targeting trade and services with Israeli settlements should also be scrutinised as the government moves towards implementing the measures over the coming months. The measures are welcome, but their effectiveness will depend on whether they are comprehensive and enforceable in practice. MPs should press the Government to close potential gaps, particularly in relation to the role of UK financial institutions in facilitating settlement activity, the marketing of settlement accommodation through platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com, and the export of UK goods, including parts for JCB excavators, that could facilitate settlement expansion. The objective must be to ensure that all those who profit from the illegal settlement enterprise face meaningful consequences.

Liberal Democrat members also have an important role to play in maintaining this pressure, ensuring that Palestine remains firmly on the party’s agenda and that our representatives recognise the urgency of the moment. For years, E1 has been a threat that was condemned and deferred. This appears to be the last opportunity to stop it. If we are serious about protecting Palestinian statehood and upholding international law, the government must use every available lever, alongside its allies, to prevent E1 from irreparably damaging the prospects for a two-state solution.

* Anne-Marie Simpson is Chair of LDFP, and an active member in Didcot and Wantage constituency.