Maale Adumim. Photo: Wordfromjerusalem.

In his weekly cabinet meeting earlier today, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu pledged that he would maintain contiguity between Jerusalem and the West Bank development of Maale Adumim, a promise that necessitates Israeli control over the disputed E1 area of Jerusalem which runs between the two locales.

“We will not allow anyone to harm the contiguity between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim,” the Prime Minister said.

The statement comes following a recent incident in which Palestinian Arab protesters and journalists set up an outpost of more than 20 tents in the E1 area. Border Police began evacuating the area at 2:30 AM this morning, and finished their task within an hour, according to Israel’s National Police Spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld.

According to Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch, the police are waiting for permission from the Supreme Court to remove the tents, which remain standing. Aharonovitch described the operation as a clean operation that was carried out without injuries.

“I would like to praise the Israel Police, with the support of the IDF, for its rapid and determined operation to evacuate the Palestinian gathering in the area between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim,” said Netanyahu. “As soon as I was updated on the Palestinian gathering, I ordered its immediate evacuation and it was indeed carried out last night in the best possible manner.”