Smotrich Unveils National Plan to Expand Jewish Settlement in Negev and Galilee

Religious Zionism leader and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich presented the party's new national plan "Yes. We Judaize!" on Thursday, focusing on expanding Jewish settlement in the Negev and Galilee regions. The plan calls for establishing 40 new communities and dozens of farms, significantly enlarging existing settlements, and creating hundreds of thousands of housing solutions. It also aims to cancel recent plans approved in Arab communities that have taken over large land reserves, threatening Jewish development in these areas.

To implement the plan, Religious Zionism intends to demand control of the Planning Administration and the Israel Land Authority (ILA) in the next government, seeking deep reforms in land and planning mechanisms. The party plans to appoint professionals with Zionist and national perspectives to key positions in planning and land management to promote settlement growth in the Negev and Galilee.

The program includes incentives for relocating to these regions, such as land and housing benefits targeting reservists, active military personnel, doctors, educators, tech workers, and other groups the state wishes to attract. Alongside settlement expansion, large industrial and employment zones will be developed, modeled after regional hubs like Tziporit, with investments in transportation, education, health, and infrastructure to provide families with comprehensive support.

Additionally, the plan proposes a crackdown on illegal weapons and crime organizations, alongside legislative changes to empower security and enforcement agencies. Enforcement against illegal construction and unauthorized land seizures will also be intensified. Smotrich emphasized that after successes in Judea and Samaria, it is now time to take responsibility for the Negev and Galilee, restoring sovereignty and making Zionism the guiding compass for planning and land systems in Israel.