The Israelite minister approves the construction of the settlement separating East Jerusalem from the West Coast

Israel's minister of finance from the far right, Bezalel Smotrich, approved plans at night for a settlement that would separate East Jerusalem from the conquered West Coast.

This settlement, according to his office, will bury the idea of a Palestinian state.

It is not yet clear whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyah supports the plan to revive the frozen scheme long ago, E1, which Palestinians and world powers have said would eventually divide the West Coast into two parts.

In a communiqué titled “varsing the idea of a Palestinian state”, Smotrichut's spokesman said the minister would hold a press conference Thursday about the plan to build 3,401 houses for Israeli settlers between a current settlement in the West Coast and Jerusalem.

Israel had frozen construction in that area in 2012, due to objections from the United States, European allies and other world powers that saw the project as a threat to any future peace agreement with Palestinians.

Netanyah and his government have not commented on this plan so far.

Smotrich's popularity has fallen in recent months, as polls show his party would not win a seat if parliamentary elections were held today.

Project E1 would link Maale Adumim's residence in the West Coast with Jerusalem. The majority of the international community see Israeli settlements in the West Coast and the military invasion of the region since 1967 as illegal.

The organisation “

“Plani E1 is fatal for Israel's future and for every chance to reach a peaceful two-state solution. We are standing on the edge of a chasm, and the government is pushing us at full speed”, said the organisation's communique “

This organisation stressed that some steps are still needed before construction starts, including an approval by Israel's High Council for Planing. But if all is gone, housing construction work can begin within months and housing construction within about a year, he added.

Critics of the E1 project say he would divide the West Coast, isolate East Jerusalem, which Palestinians love as their next capital, and make impossible the creation of a Palestinian state without letup.

Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand imposed sanctions in June on Smothrich and another far-right minister, as they backed the expansion of settlements, accusing both of repeated inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Coast.

Britain and other countries have said that Israel must stop expanding settlements in the West Coast.

Over the past 22 months, until Israel has waged war in Gaza, human rights groups have said that the attacks on the settlers and the expansion of settlements in the West Coast have increased significantly. / REL/Periscopi/