Israel Approves New Housing Units and Settlement Regularization

Israel's Minister of Finance and Minister in the Ministry of Defense, Bezalel Smotrich, announced on Monday the final regularization of the settlements of Avigail and Mitzpe Kramim in the West Bank. The move includes the advancement of plans for 541 new housing units in Judea and Samaria, a step Smotrich described as a strategic reinforcement of the settlement enterprise in the region.

Specifically, the plan for Avigail, established in 2001 in the Hebron Hills, will approve 278 housing units, providing a permanent solution for the settlement. In Mitzpe Kramim, located in the Benjamin region, plans for 63 housing units will advance, resolving a legal dispute that has lasted 27 years. Additionally, 200 new housing units will be approved in Kiryat Arba.

Smotrich stated that these advancements are significant news for the settlements, representing justice for the pioneers who have struggled for over 25 years to maintain their presence in the "land of our ancestors." He contrasted this action with a hypothetical "government of Eizenkot-Lieberman-Golan" that he claimed would evacuate settlements and establish a Palestinian state, asserting that his government is fortifying and strengthening settlements through actions, not just words. He emphasized that the land belongs to Israelis and pledged to continue promoting construction and regularization.