US senators seek sanctions over Israel's E1 West Bank settlement plan

A group of United States senators is preparing legislation to sanction people and organisations that support Israel's E1 settlement programme in the occupied West Bank. The bill is expected to be introduced on Wednesday and comes amid growing criticism in Congress of Israeli settlement expansion. The proposal focuses on a project that would link Ma'ale Adumim with occupied East Jerusalem.

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The lawmakers backing the measure include Chris Coons of Delaware, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Ruben Gallego of Arizona. According to the supporting row, 10 Democrats were expected to co-sponsor the bill. Coons said in a statement that the United States must send a strong message that violence against Palestinian civilians is unacceptable and that it remains committed to freedom, security, prosperity and self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians.

The E1 plan has long been one of the most contentious settlement proposals in the West Bank because of its location between East Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim. The row says the project would completely sever East Jerusalem, which is widely viewed as the capital of a future Palestinian state, from the rest of the West Bank. It also says the scheme would effectively divide Palestinian territory in two, deepening concerns among critics that it would further undermine the prospect of a contiguous Palestinian state.

The move reflects a broader shift in debate inside the US legislature over Washington's approach to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. The supporting material says criticism has become more acute among Democrats, some of whom are seeking to take control of both chambers of Congress in the November midterm elections. It also notes that a growing number of Democrats have voted in recent months to block arms transfers to Israel, while some Republicans have also questioned the close relationship between the two countries.

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The row places the bill against a backdrop of rising violence in the West Bank and continued settlement expansion. It says settler attacks have surged in recent years and that some have taken place under the protection of Israeli forces. It also links the debate to Israel's war in Gaza, which has intensified scrutiny of policy toward the occupied Palestinian territory and the wider conflict.

What remains unclear is how much support the sanctions bill will attract once it is formally introduced and whether it will advance beyond the Senate. The supporting material does not say when a vote might take place or what form any penalties would take if the measure progresses. The immediate focus will be on the bill's introduction on Wednesday and on whether more lawmakers join the effort in the days that follow.

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