The Israeli government is about to make a bold decision that will reduce the amount of bureaucracy involved in development in Judea and Samaria and give Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich control over construction-related decisions.
Right now, political consent is required for any construction in the area, not civil administration approval like in any other place.
The new decision will eliminate political decision-making, and building permits for homes and roads will need to be planned for and published without governmental approval.
The new decision will also shield Israel’s administration from pressure from abroad to halt construction in Judea and Samaria.
The Higher Planning Committee is expected to approve 4,560 new units in the area, including hundreds in Beitar Illit, Givat Ze’ev, Maale Adumim, and the Revava, Elkana, and Telem-Adora settlements.
The government released this information at the same time. These units join the additional 10,000 the government announced for Judea and Samaria.
Israel has told the Biden administration that it plans to reduce Judea and Samaria’s bureaucracy, but the move was made public a day before the arrival of the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, who will presumably talk about the Palestinian issue and settlement growth.
The administration vehemently opposes settlement development because it sees it as an Israeli strategy for annexing territory that will thwart the creation of a Palestinian state.
The director of Bet El Regional, Shai Alon, praised the new initiative, calling it “a historic and Zionist decision that will significantly speed up development and simplify the processes and wait times for obtaining permits.
It will offer a remedy for young couples settling in the area.
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