Jun 3, 2025
In a pivotal decision with long-term implications, Israel’s Diplomatic-Security Cabinet has approved the establishment of 22 new Jewish communities across Judea and Samaria. Spearheaded by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—who also serves within the Defense Ministry—this move marks a significant expansion of Israeli presence in the region. A key element of the plan is the return to Homesh and Sa-Nur, symbolically and practically reversing parts of the 2005 Disengagement Law and paving the way for renewed Jewish settlement in northern Samaria. Additionally, four communities will be founded near the Jordanian border, reinforcing Israel’s strategic and security posture.
Katz and Smotrich hailed the decision as a landmark step toward solidifying Israel’s historical and security claims in the region. Katz described the expansion as both a Zionist and national response to Palestinian terrorism and a critical move to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. Smotrich echoed this sentiment, calling the day historic for Israel and the settlement movement, framing the development as a return to national vision and biblical heritage. He emphasized that building in Judea and Samaria serves as Israel’s “shield wall,” reaffirming their ancestral claim with the declaration: “We did not take a foreign land, but the inheritance of our forefathers.”
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SOURCE: Israel National News