Ahmad Gharabli, AFP / Getty Images
Israel is moving forward with plans to start building in an area of Jerusalem once considered off-limits since it will cut off Palestinian access to key cities, sources told The New York Times on Friday. A senior Israeli official said Thursday night that the government decided late Thursday night to prep the necessary zoning permits and other “planning preparations” for an area of Jerusalem known as E1, which would cut off the Palestinians Ramallah and Bethlehem to the Palestinian portion of East Jerusalem. The move comes on the same day that the United Nations overwhelmingly approved non-member status for Palestine—although building in the region could stand to alienate Israel from its allies, as even the U.S. has strongly opposed any building in E1 for decades.