Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the declassification of a March cabinet decision to establish 34 new settlements in Judea and Samaria, and the approval of a total NIS 2.3 billion budget for their development, including NIS 1.3 billion for pioneer neighborhoods and over NIS 1 billion for access roads. The settlements will be distributed across the Samaria, Benjamin, Hebron Hills, Jordan Valley, Gush Etzion, and Megilot regions.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Tuesday the declassification of a March cabinet decision to establish 34 new settlements in Judea and Samaria, and confirmed a total budget of NIS 2.3 billion for their development. The package includes NIS 1.3 billion already approved by the political-security cabinet for pioneer neighborhoods, and over NIS 1 billion for access and security roads, which the government is expected to approve later on Tuesday. The declassification lifts the secrecy that had shroud the decision since it was taken in March, as first reported by The Zioneer earlier today.
The thread of this development unfolded rapidly on Tuesday. At 14:50 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported (citing Amit Segal of N12) that the security cabinet had secretly approved a NIS 1.3 billion budget for new settlements about a month ago. Simultaneously, three further bulletins confirmed the cabinet's formal approval of the settlement budget and the establishment of 34 new communities. The initial report, based on a single media outlet, was soon corroborated by the official cabinet announcement and Smotrich's own statement. The scope expanded from the NIS 1.3 billion figure to the larger NIS 2.3 billion package once the road component was added.
Attributed background: The Zioneer reported on July 10 that the government was set to approve a NIS 1 billion road plan for Judea and Samaria, including four settlements evacuated in the 2005 disengagement. A June 11 report indicated a cabinet vote on a plan for 61 new settlements. The current 34 settlements are part of a broader settlement campaign led by Smotrich, who described the decision as a 'historic Zionist-settlement decision' aimed at preventing a Palestinian state.
What remains open: The government's formal approval of the road budget is still pending, expected later Tuesday. The specific locations and construction timelines for the 34 settlements have not been fully detailed, and the full implementation schedule remains unannounced.
4 developments
- StrongGovernment to approve NIS 1 billion road plan on Sunday, including four evacuated settlements in northern Samaria
- DevelopingCabinet to vote on plan for 61 new settlements in Judea and Samaria
- StrongGovernment refers NIS 1 billion settlement budget to cabinet for confidential approval
- StrongIsrael signs NIS 8.5 billion roof agreement with Samaria council for 12,000 housing units
Source and signal
- Internal intake