Although not officially announced, the Israeli cabinet’s decision to establish or formalize 34 new Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria drew reactions inside Israel and abroad. Supporters in the broader camp backing Jewish communities in the area presented it as a major step to strengthen Israel’s presence there.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich framed the policy as a way to block the creation of a Palestinian “terror state,” while Energy Minister Eli Cohen called related infrastructure expansion for the newly approved communities “historic,” saying Israel was applying “sovereignty in law and in practice.”
The plan calls for nearly every major community bloc to receive at least one additional locality, including near the Green Line, to strengthen continuity, strategic corridors, transport routes and long-term residential growth; some would be newly built, others would legalize existing outposts, mostly in Area C, the part of Judea and Samaria under full Israeli control.
AFSI’s take:
MK Smotrich has been tireless in his work to block the creation of a Palestinian state and we applaud him. The declaration and application of sovereignty across Judea and Samaria MUST be the next step. What is Israel waiting for? On that note, please see our next article on Tuvia Tenenbom’s new book and interview with Arutz Sheva on this subject.