Attorney general reverses course: E1 tender for 1,234 housing units won't be delayed

Government legal advisor Gali Baharav Miara reversed her decision to delay next month the final deadline for submitting proposals in the tender for building 1,234 housing units in the E1 complex due to proximity to elections, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claims it is a maneuver by the legal advisor.

The government legal advisor cancelled Monday the decision to delay next month the final deadline for submitting proposals in the tender for building 1,234 housing units in the E1 complex, so the tender will not be delayed until after elections. Previously the government legal advisor Gali Baharav Miara decided to postpone the deadline for a month due to its proximity to the election period, from the position that advancing the project at this time could carry political implications.

The project includes seven residential complexes containing 1,234 housing units, part of 3,401 housing units approved to advance in the E1 complex. The area, which extends between Maaleh Adumim and Jerusalem, is considered a strategic complex intended to create a continuous built corridor between the city and the capital.

Mayor of Maaleh Adumim, Gai Yafrah, reacted with satisfaction to the decision. "I am pleased we succeeded in the struggle and the E1 tender will proceed as usual," said Yafrah. "After more than 30 years of waiting, it is time to build."

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich claims it is a maneuver by the legal advisor, which according to him is aligned with Eisenkot in his opposition to strategic building in E1, and its purpose is that the tender will not be completed in the current term. "The tender should open and close, along with the announcement of the winner and the beginning of construction, on the date set for it in advance," said Smotrich.