Smotrich Decries 'Loss of Governance' in Northern Israel

Religious Zionism party lawmakers held an urgent meeting Thursday near Majd al-Krum in northern Israel, under heavy security. The meeting, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, aimed to advance the party's agenda of Jewish settlement in the Negev and Galilee regions, mirroring their efforts in Judea and Samaria. Over 140 Border Police officers were deployed for the operation.

Smotrich stated that the heavy security presence, comparable to operations in Gaza, demonstrated a "loss of Israeli sovereignty and governance" in the Galilee. He criticized the government's perceived fear of establishing even a simple grazing point due to potential Arab protests, drawing a parallel to the period before October 7th, when Israel allegedly hesitated to act due to fears of escalation. He warned that avoiding confrontation only delays and magnifies future conflicts.

Looking ahead, Smotrich vowed that "this carnival will end" in the next term, pledging to "Judaize" the Negev and Galilee. He asserted that Jewish settlement with land control fosters governance and security, aiming to replicate successes from Judea and Samaria. The party has already registered over 500 families for initial settlement groups and aims to bring one million additional Jews to the Negev and Galilee, establish 40 new communities, expand existing ones, and create hundreds of thousands of housing solutions.

Minister of Settlement and National Missions, Orit Strock, echoed these concerns, calling the situation in the Galilee a "strategic danger." She blamed "post-Zionist, unequal, and illogical land planning and management methods" for the current state, vowing to rectify this in the upcoming term by taking control of relevant authorities and enacting legislative changes, similar to their approach in Judea and Samaria.