Tel Aviv, Israel – Israel’s Security Cabinet approved on Sunday a series of decisions submitted by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz.
These decisions aim to fundamentally alter the legal and civil status of the occupied West Bank.
Furthermore, they are intended to bolster settlement activity in the area.
According to the official government statement, the decisions aim to remove decades-old obstacles that have hindered the rapid development of settlements.
This includes repealing the Jordanian law that prohibits the sale of land to Jews.
It also includes declassifying and publishing land records in the West Bank.
These steps seek to facilitate land purchases and promote what the government described as “transparency.”
The cabinet also decided to transfer building permit authority in Jewish settlements in Hebron,
including at the Ibrahimi Mosque/Cave of the Patriarchs and other religious sites, from the Hebron Municipality to the Civil Administration’s planning bodies.
This allows for planning procedures to be implemented without requiring Palestinian municipal approval.
Additionally, the decision also granted the Hebron Municipality expanded powers to directly manage settler affairs.
In addition, a land purchase committee, which had been inactive for nearly 20 years, was reactivated to facilitate land acquisitions in the West Bank.
Defense Minister Yisrael Katz stated that these decisions “strengthen Israel’s hold on the West Bank and bolster settlement activity,”
while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich asserted that the measures aim to deepen Israeli control over the land.
The new decisions have raised Palestinian and international concerns.
These parties worry that the measures will undermine the civil rights of Palestinians in the West Bank.
Additionally, they could alter the demographic composition of the region.
