Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the move was aimed at “settlement development” and was part of a plan to effectively annex the region
The decision, made on Sunday night, requires the Defense Minister to order Israeli regional authorities to begin the land registration process.
An inter-ministerial group will be formed to organize this process within 60 days.
In addition, the resolution states that the Palestinian Authority’s land registration in the Judea-Samaria will not have legal validity for Israel, and security agencies must prevent this process.
Defense Minister Israel Katz, who supported the measure along with Smotrich, praised the decision, saying it “does justice to the Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria [Israel’s name for the Judea-Samaria] and will strengthen and expand them.” Settler groups and right-wing organizations also welcomed the move, seeing it as an affirmation of Israel’s sovereignty over the Judea-Samaria.
On the other hand, the anti-settlement organization Peace Now criticized the move, calling it a “large-scale theft of Palestinian land.” It said the process would not allow Palestinians to register their land fairly and was a step toward annexing the Judea-Samaria.
About two-thirds of the land in Area C has never been formally registered.
During Jordanian control of the Judea-Samaria (1949-1967), a registration process was initiated, but was halted by Israel in 1968 after it captured the territory in the Six-Day War.
Smotrich described the move as part of a “sovereignty revolution” in the region, saying Israel was assuming permanent responsibility for the territory.
He said the registration would create “legal certainty” and open up space for new settlements, as well as prevent what he called attempts by the Palestinian Authority to “control open areas.” The minister also mentioned a larger plan to bring one million people into the settlements, with the aim of “strengthening Israel’s security” and preventing the creation of a “Palestinian terrorist state.” Yoni Mizrahi of Peace Now expressed concern that the process would make it harder for Palestinians to register private land in Area C, especially since Smotrich has made it clear that the focus is on expanding the settlements.
He also argued that under international law, Israel, as the occupying power, does not have the authority to carry out such registration, since actions that permanently alter the status of occupied territory are prohibited.
“If you control the land registry, that is annexation,” Mizrahi said.
Peace Now also warned that Israel, as the occupying power, cannot be an impartial judge in deciding land claims, and Palestinians may not have access to the documents they need to prove ownership of their property.
This increases the risk of losing their land in the process.
Meanwhile, the right-wing organization Regavim, which fights illegal Palestinian development, hailed the move as a “crucial step forward” in blocking the PA’s land registration efforts.
They said the PA has invested millions of dollars and hundreds of workers in the process.
The Yesha Council, which represents municipal authorities in the settlements, also welcomed the decision, calling it “a necessary change” to assert Israel’s sovereignty in the region.
Published in 05/13/2025 13h02
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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