Mevaseret Adumim (E-1) A Road to Nowhere Shaul Arieli, December 2008

The Mevaseret Adumim (E-1) Neighborhood  Mevaseret Adumim (E-1) is located on a 12.1 sq. km. area (4.7 sq. miles., or just short of 3,000 acres) located north of Road 1 that connects Jerusalem, via Ma’ale Adumim, to Road 90 in the Jordan Valley. In 1994 the area was added to the Ma’ale Adumim’s municipality and was designated by local and national authorities for urban construction: a neighborhood of 4,000 residential units.  The construction’s goal can be seen in a Ma’ale Adumim municipality publication, where the city claims that its “construction of Mevaseret Adumim / E-1 would bring about a continuous built-up area between our city and the Capital Jerusalem, and is the Zionist answer that would prevent the choking off of Jerusalem and the disconnection of Ma’ale Adumim and the Adumim block from the Capital of Israel.” (Israel’s ‘unification’ of Jerusalem – including its annexation of East Jerusalem on its 250,000 Palestinian residents – is not recognized by the international community).  The United States, the Palestinians, the international community, and many in Israel oppose the construction of the neighborhood because of its potential implications on the borders issue in the context of an Israeli-Palestinians final status agreement, as well as undermining U.S.-Israeli understandings regarding Israeli construction in the West Bank.

Recent Developments  The construction masterplan was approved by Israel’s High Planning Council on May 26,  To publish the plans for construction bids, two additional stages would need to be approved by the Minister of Defense (who will act in coordination with the Prime Minister): the deposit of each of the masterplan's detailed parts for public review, and the activation of the detailed plans.  The approvals are being withheld (for the reasons detailed above) but the government is constructing an exhaustive infrastructure scheme, totaling hundreds of millions of Shekels, under the umbrella of one detailed plan: 420/4/9 (the Judea and Samaria Police building, roads, and scenery).

On the Ground  The exhaustive infrastructure system includes, as detailed in the following pages: roads, interchanges, circles (crossroads) and overlooks – all leading to nowhere. Despite the hundreds of millions of Shekels worth of construction, not a single residential unit has been built (or approved); the one building standing is the Judea and Samaria Police Headquarters, overlooking the surrounding desert.  Extraordinary sums of money were invested in infrastructure which will be left unused, all while crowded places in Israel are deprived of improvements in roads infrastructure that could enhance accessibility to services, develop economic centers, and reduce casualties of accidents.

1. Arriving at the area – from the west (Jerusalem) Driving east from Jerusalem toward the Dead Sea on Road 1, one could see the road sign detailing two parts to Ma’ale Adumim: South and North (while in reality only a southern neighborhood exists) A sign pointing at the existing southern neighborhood. A sign pointing at the northern neighborhood, which does not exist. Ma’ale Adumim Road 1 (between Jerusalem and Road 90 in the Jordan Valley)

2. Arriving at the area – from the east (Jericho) Driving west from the Dead Sea area toward Jerusalem on Road 1, one could see the road sign pointing: “Mevaseret Adumim – Here”. A sign pointing to Mevaseret Adumim, which does not exist. Ma’ale Adumim Road 1 (between Jerusalem and Road 90 in the Jordan Valley)

3. Entrance to the Site The designed crossroad – a circle, usually used to handle continuous through traffic – awaits cars. Nonetheless, the connection to Ma’ale Adumim from the south is blocked. Blocked-off entrance from the south. Ma’ale Adumim

4. Massive Infrastructure to Nowhere A massive interchange overlooks Road 1. The bridge is unused. A massive, unused, bridge between Ma’ale Adumim and Mevaseret Adumim A sign pointing at the northern neighborhood, which does not exist. Ma’ale Adumim Road 1 (between Jerusalem and Road 90 in the Jordan Valley)

5. Massive Infrastructure to Nowhere The bridge and the two-lane road leading to it from Ma’ale Adumim A massive, unused, bridge between Ma’ale Adumim and Mevaseret Adumim Two-lane road from Ma’ale Adumim Ma’ale Adumim Road 1 (between Jerusalem and Road 90 in the Jordan Valley)

Welcome to Mevaseret Adumim

6. Road to Nowhere Urban Area (50 Km/Hr. max) sign…

7. Road to Nowhere Three-lane highway Three lanes, each side…

Road to Nowhere (opposite view) Three lanes, each side… Ma’ale Adumim

8. Higher Up the Road The number of lanes shrinks here, but note the additional infrastructure. Terraces Decorative fence Light poles

9. Second Traffic Circle Traffic circles such as this one are usually built to manage continuous thru traffic. Note the massive digging into the mountain.

10. Viewpoint Constructed viewpoint overlooking Ma’ale Adumim Ma’ale Adumim Viewpoint Marked parking spots

11. Third Traffic Circle

12. Fourth Traffic Circle Terraces Sign pointing to the police station

13. Police Station The Judea and Samaria police station, relocated to E-1 from the Ras al-Amud neighborhood in East Jerusalem, is overlooking the Judean desert and, when the Israeli barrier is completed, will be disconnected from the constituency it is supposed to serve.

The Strategic Road Plan Israel envisions a road plan for the area that includes:  Constructing a road connecting Ramallah and Bethlehem that bypasses East Jerusalem (NIS 120 million-worth of which has been constructed before works were halted, while the other half, known as trans-Ezzariyeh, is pending an Israeli High Court of Justice ruling).  Constructing the southern “Ma’ale Adumim Bypass” for Palestinians, who would subsequently be prevented from using Road 1. (The IDF’s Central Command chief approved the expropriations orders for the road about a year ago.)  Construction of Mevaseret Adumim (E-1).  The completion of Israel’s barrier in a political, rather than security, trajectory. (The southern part of route is pending an Israeli High Court of Justice ruling.)

Mevaseret Adumim / E-1 Divided Road (construction halted after NIS 120 million) Trans-Ezzariya road (planned, pending court decision) Ma’ale Adumim Bypass (planned, expropriations ordered handed) Road 1 – to be designated for Israeli-only use once Palestinian roads are completed. Israeli barrier (planned)

Strategic Implications The strategic consequences are alarming:  Israel continues to invest in the plan as if no final status negotiations are taking place or as if it does not treat the negotiations with the seriousness needed to conclude an agreement. It continues to align position itself in the West Bank, including entrenching the settlement enterprise, under an apparent work assumption that the conflict would continue.  This alignment is being carried out in patterns that would undermine the ability to reach a final status agreement rather than in a way that maintains the livelihood of Israelis until political decisions are made.  On the one hand – Israel is negotiating over final status, learning the limited window for agreement on the core issues. On the other hand – it is investing heavily in creating reality that eliminates the ability to reach such an agreement. Either the government is knowingly wasting the taxpayer’s money, or is purposefully undermining the ability to conclude a final status agreement.