85 Members of Congress Demand US Diplomacy to Stop E-1 Settlement Construction

June 5, 2026 — Eighty-five members of Congress sent a letter to Secretary Rubio today urging the administration to use every available diplomatic tool to halt imminent settlement construction in the E-1 area of the West Bank. The letter was led by Representatives Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).

New Jewish Narrative strongly advocated on behalf of this letter.

The E-1 corridor east of Jerusalem has long been recognized as essential for the emergence of a viable Palestinian state. Construction there would bisect the West Bank, severing north from south, and cement an unbroken band of Israeli-controlled territory from Jerusalem through E-1 to the Jordan Valley.

This congressional action is timely. Construction bids were expected to open on June 1, with contracts awarded in early July. That makes this moment a critical window for meaningful diplomatic intervention.

The strong show of congressional support underscores the depth of concern on Capitol Hill about the Israeli government's accelerating push to establish irreversible facts on the ground. It also reflects frustration with the Trump administration's failure to translate its own stated policy into action. President Trump has repeatedly claimed to oppose Israel’s annexation of the West Bank, but has done little to slow the Israeli government’s annexationist agenda.

Hadar Susskind, President and CEO of New Jewish Narrative, said:

"Eighty-five members of Congress have made something unmistakably clear: the United States cannot stand by while the Israeli government moves to permanently foreclose the possibility of a sovereign Palestinian state. E-1 is not a theoretical threat. Bids are opening now. Contracts will soon be signed. The damage, once done, cannot be easily undone.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu needs to pay attention. Congress is telling him that the American people reject his annexation agenda. If he presses ahead, he risks losing whatever American support remains for Israel."

Photo by Dvirraz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons