Settlement Expansion Plans Target Galilee and Negev Regions

The Religious Zionism party, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, held a meeting near Majd al-Krum in the Galilee region, days after an outpost there was dismantled. This gathering signals the party's intent to expand its settlement agenda from the West Bank into the Negev and Galilee.

Smotrich announced a plan on August 27th titled "Judea of the Negev and Galilee," which aims to add approximately one million Jews to these areas by establishing 40 new settlements and towns, alongside expanding existing Jewish communities and constructing hundreds of thousands of housing units. The plan also calls for stricter enforcement of building laws, reduction of illegal construction, and prioritization of Jewish settlement development. Economic incentives are proposed to attract Jewish residents, including soldiers, reservists, doctors, teachers, and tech workers, with the goal of replicating the "revolution" Smotrich claims to have led in the West Bank.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has echoed these sentiments, stating on August 30th that his government is working to expand Jewish settlement in the Negev and Galilee, offering preferential land access to reservists and introducing "farms" to bolster settlement. He indicated that legal obstacles would be overcome.

Historically, linking land acquisition to military service is not new. In February 2024, Netanyahu proposed legislation offering significant land price reductions for discharged soldiers in the Galilee and Negev, describing the offer as "almost free" as a reward for service. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also included free land for combat soldiers in his election platform.

The recent incident in Majd al-Krum involved young settlers from West Bank settlements establishing tents on a plot of land with mixed ownership, including 50% belonging to local residents. Legal action was taken by the Adalah Center to remove the outpost and allow landowners access. While the Jewish National Fund stated the land was leased for grazing, reports indicated tents, utilities, and furniture were present without livestock.

Following protests and legal challenges, the outpost was dismantled. However, plans emerged to reorganize the activity nearby, reducing tents and employing local guards instead of settlers from the West Bank. The Jewish National Fund claims ownership of the new site.

The Majd al-Krum issue has become a political flashpoint, intersecting with broader Israeli right-wing electoral strategies for the Galilee and Negev. The local council in Majd al-Krum views the outpost as an attempt to impose a new reality and infringe on local land rights, while proponents maintain the goal is grazing and land management. Smotrich's party meeting at the site underscores the local issue's connection to the wider political project for the northern and southern regions.