The Israeli government is poised to make a landmark decision that could significantly reshape the settlement landscape in Judea and Samaria. In response to the recent murder of Tzeela Gez Hy”d near Baruchin in Samaria, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is planning the legalization of 22 settlement outposts in the liberated territories. This includes granting official status to 13 existing settlements and farms, such as Adi Ad, Achiya, and Nofei Prat—as well as authorizing nine new sites, including Mount Ebal and Ma’ale Rehoboam.
Touted as a major strategic shift, the plan aims to solidify the Jewish presence in the territories by formalizing long-established communities and paving the way for new settlement initiatives.
The most notable development in the proposal is the inclusion of Homesh and Sa-Nur, two settlements evacuated two decades ago during the 2005 expulsion of Jews from Gaza and northern Samaria. Under the plan, Homesh would gain formal recognition as an official settlement, while Sa-Nur—currently uninhabited—would be reopened to Jewish resettlement.
August 23, 2005 – Evacuation of the settlement of Homesh:
Maariv reported Monday on a quid pro quo between Prime Minster Netanyahu and Minister Smotrich: the finance minister, a staunch opponent of delivering the slightest bit of humanitarian aid to the enemy in Gaza, suddenly changed his mind, convened a press conference, and voiced his support for the introduction of limited humanitarian aid into Gaza, calling it a necessary step in the broader effort to win the war and defeat Hamas.
In return, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will authorize the construction of hundreds of new housing units in outposts across Judea and Samaria. These developments will be established through “settlement nuclei” and agricultural farms along the eastern border. The initiative will be funded by the office of Minister Orit Struck, which is set to receive a significant budget increase to support the project.
According to a senior political source cited by Maariv, the quid pro quo has been finalized recently. At Smotrich’s request, the cabinet approved the settlement expansion plan on Monday night, simultaneously with the decision to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
AND NOW PEACE NOW
Whenever I want to feel some Yiddishe Naches, I go to the Peace Now website to read their gripes about the latest insolent Jewish attempt to resettle in our forefathers’ homeland. It’s a bit perverse, I agree, but fun nonetheless, and their numbers are usually accurate.
It’s a little like the German Jew who says he prefers to read Der Stürmer over the Jewish papers. The Jewish papers report on pogroms and Jewish suffering everywhere; Der Stürmer describes Jews as the wealthy masters of the planet. Well worth the 5 pfennigs.
Well, according to Peace Now’s wailing report last Sunday, “the Supreme Planning Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, to advance the approval of 514 housing units in three settlements of Ariel, Elkana, and Ali.
“Since December 2024, the Council has been convening weekly to promote housing plans in the settlements—a shift that not only normalizes construction in the territories but also accelerates it. With this week’s expected approvals, the total number of housing units advanced in 2025 has reached 16,820, marking an all-time record for settlement expansion.”
Peace Now pointed out that one of the key changes introduced by the Netanyahu-Smotrich government in June 2023 was the removal of the requirement for the defense minister to approve each stage of advancing settlement plans. Before this shift, every step in the planning process required the defense minister’s explicit authorization.
In recent years, defense ministers have limited the advancement of settlement plans to roughly four times a year, resulting in the approval of thousands of housing units during each session of the Supreme Planning Council. However, a notable change has occurred in recent weeks: the Council now meets approximately every two weeks, approving several hundred housing units at a time.
According to Peace Now, this change is part of a broader strategy to normalize settlement expansion while minimizing public scrutiny and international criticism by spreading out approvals in smaller, more frequent increments.
In response, Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated: “We continue to lead a revolution of normalization and regulation in the settlement enterprise. Instead of hiding and apologizing, we raise the flag, build, and settle. This is another significant step on the road to de facto sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”
More power to you, Mr. Smotrich!
