At a meeting held about a month ago, the Security Cabinet approved a budget of about 1.3 billion shekels for new West Bank settlements. The decision was kept secret until Tuesday so as not to embarrass the United States amid tensions with Washington at the time. At the same time, another decision was announced Tuesday for the first time — one that was approved back in March — granting approval for the establishment of 34 new settlements in the West Bank. In addition, the government is expected later Tuesday evening to approve another budget of 1.075 billion shekels for paving roads to the new communities.
The second decision effectively joins previous approvals already granted during the current government’s term for the establishment of 69 new settlements. In total, the establishment of 103 settlements has been approved. According to the new decision, the communities will be built at dozens of strategic points in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley: nine communities in Samaria, seven in Binyamin, four in the South Hebron Hills, seven in the Jordan Valley, six in Gush Etzion and one in the Megillot Regional Council.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who initiated the proposal together with Defense Minister Israel Katz, said: “The legalization and establishment of dozens of new communities is a significant part and a cornerstone of the settlement revolution we have been leading in recent years. This is a significant security-strategic decision, and part of a broad move whose purpose is to kill the terrible idea of establishing a terror state in the very heart of the State of Israel.”
These are the temporary names given to the settlements approved for establishment, in addition to two communities that will be legalized: Aloni Shomron, Rom Gilboa, Emek Dotan, Maayanot, Tzalon, Noa, Tzafnat, Nofei Yam, Ta’anach, Daya, Zibda, Mevo’ot Yehoshua, Neot Harim, Ramatayim, Tzofim, Natuf, Ma’ale Enav, Karmei Yehuda, Meged, Hayuta, Mevo Tirza, Tzuri, Elisha, Mevo HaShemesh, Rashash, Giborei David, Masu’ot Har, Shizaf, Gva’ot Adulam, Ma’ale Arugot, Mitzpe Darga, Gad Natan and Beit Tzo’ar. The communities approved for legalization are Mitzpe Yair and Yishuv HaDa’at.
The 1.3 billion shekel budget approved as part of the decision last month is intended for the construction of pioneer neighborhoods in dozens of communities whose establishment has been approved. In addition, according to the proposal by Settlement Minister Orit Struck, Smotrich and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the budget will be used to develop infrastructure that will enable initial occupancy alongside the continuation of permanent development work.
Smotrich said the purpose of the budget is to ensure that the decisions to establish the communities “do not remain on paper, but take shape and rise on the ground.” According to him, “We are passing budget decisions one after another that fund roads, infrastructure and now also buildings and caravans. Already this coming summer, we will go up to many more of the communities.” Smotrich said that through the budgets and the Settlement Administration in the Defense Ministry, the government is “fortifying the security of the State of Israel.”
Struck described the decision as “the largest Zionist-settlement move since the establishment of the state.” According to her, “there has never been a Zionist-settlement decision on this scale in the entire history of Zionism since its establishment. We are building a protective wall for settlement in Judea and Samaria as well, and making sure that no point remains orphaned without a community.”
Smotrich's Religious Zionism party publishes map of new settlements
(Photo: Religious Zionism party)
The budget will be used to establish the settlements within a short time frame through pioneer neighborhoods, alongside the permanent development process for each community. Construction and Housing Minister Haim Katz said: “After the decision to establish the communities, the implementation stage has arrived. Investment in settlement strengthens our hold throughout Israel and ensures our future. The approved budget will allow development to begin, pioneer neighborhoods to be established and the infrastructure to be laid so that families can go up to the land as soon as possible.”
Another budget decision on the matter is expected to be approved Tuesday evening, with the government set to approve 1.075 billion shekels for paving roads and access routes to the new communities, including the four communities in northern Samaria that were previously evacuated — Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim and Kadim.
According to Smotrich, this is a multiyear plan that “will ensure the planning and paving of new access roads, the upgrading of existing routes and connections between communities, alongside the integration of critical security components.” The budget will be spread over three years and will include the planning and paving of new access roads and the improvement of existing roads, including sections outside the communities that connect different communities as needed. For communities in the West Bank the plan will also include built-in security components, and it was stated that if additional communities are approved, they will be included in the plan.