Smotrich Vows to 'Judaize' Galilee and Negev

Israeli Finance Minister and Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich announced plans to visit a newly established outpost near Majd al-Krum in the Galilee on Thursday. He stated that his party bloc would hold an emergency session at the site as part of his "Judaization of the Negev and Galilee" initiative.

Ahead of the visit, Smotrich declared, "We are going to Judaize the Negev and Galilee, just as we did in Judea and Samaria." He warned that the situation in the Galilee resembles the October 7th attacks in the south and requires immediate action, calling it "crucial for the future of the State of Israel" and a "matter for the elections."

Smotrich unveiled his "Yes, We Will Judaize" electoral plan in August. The plan aims to increase the Jewish population in the Negev and Galilee by one million people through the establishment of 40 new towns, dozens of settlement farms, expansion of existing communities, and the construction of hundreds of thousands of housing units.

He intends to replicate the settlement expansion model he led in the West Bank in the Galilee and Negev. This includes establishing new farms and outposts, utilizing settlers from the West Bank, including those known as "hilltop youth," to transfer the settlement farm and outpost model to the northern and southern regions of Israel.