Integrating roles: Smotritch expands settlement, Katz supports settlers’ terror

By: Madeeha Al-A’raj
The ‘National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements stated in its latest weekly report , that the occupation authorities go on with advancing settlement plans, even though some are still on paper. The so-called ‘Higher Planning Council’, affiliated with the Civil Administration is currently discusses a number of the plans, such as, building 267 settlement units in the settlements of Ma ale Amos, southeast of Bethlehem, and Ganei Modi in, adjacent to the apartheid wall near Ramallah. The plan includes the construction of 117 settlement units in Ma ale Amos and 150 settlement units in the Ganei Modi in settlement. This is the first case of settlement expansion outside the apartheid wall, as planned more than 20 years ago, when these authorities began building the wall on the lands of the village of Ni lin.
At the time, the development company filed an objection to its route, claiming that it would harm its project to build a settlement neighborhood on land adjacent to the settlement. The plan has been re-proposed after it was approved for deposit in June 2023. With the plans scheduled to be approved today, the Supreme Planning Council has discussed plans for the construction of 19,914 settlement units, a record number compared to previous years. This comes after the Netanyahu – Smotrich’s Government, in June 2023 made fundamental changes to settlement planning procedures, eliminating the need for the Israeli Defense Minister s approval at every stage of construction plans.
Moreover, the council studies a master plan to expand the ‘Kedumim settlement’ at the expense of citizens lands in Kafr Qaddum in the Qalqilia Governorate, by establishing a new neighborhood on an area of 280 dunams to build 1,352 new units, linking the new neighborhood with the settlement by a bridge. The aim is to intensify construction in this settlement and establish a connection between the settlements of the settlement bloc on the lands of the governorate and isolate more Palestinian villages in pockets surrounded by settlements. At the same time, this government is studying master plans in the Bethlehem Governorate to follow the ‘Nokdim settlement’, built on citizens lands in the villages of Arab al-Ta amra in Bethlehem, by building a new neighborhood belonging to the settlement, with the construction of 290 new units on an area of 239 dunams.
The Higher Planning Council is also discussing approval for the construction of 430 housing units in the settlements of Eli and Givat Ze ev, 348 housing units in Eli and 82 housing units in Givat Ze ev. One of the plans No. 237/6 includes 348 housing units in the ‘Palgei Mayim outpost’, defined as a neighborhood of the Eli settlement, which was approved for deposit in June 2023. The legalization of this outpost will be discussed through approval.
According to Israeli media, the Israeli Security Cabinet decided on May 29 to build 22 new settlements in the West Bank. The cabinet s decisions are confidential, but a settler council released information about the decision a day after it was made. With this decision, the current government has approved the construction of 49 official settlements and has begun the process of legalizing dozens of outposts. Of the 22 settlements approved by the security cabinet, 12 are expected to be outposts and illegal farms established in recent years and will be legalized as official settlements. Nine of them are entirely new settlements ‘construction in one of them has already begun in recent days - Beit Horon North, on lands of Ein Arik west of Ramallah’.
One is an existing settlement ‘Nove Prat’ that is officially considered a ‘neighborhood’ of another settlement ‘Kfar Adumim’ and will now be recognized as an independent settlement. Three settlements are located in the Jenin Governorate – El Neve, Maoz Zvi, and Sanur. Four settlements are located in the Hebron Governorate: Ma’alot Halhul, Afika, Yonadav, and Mitzpe Ziv, five settlements in the Jordan Valley: Ir Hatmarim, Kedem Arava, Gadi Camp, Gvionit, and Tefez-;- three settlements in the Nablus Governorate: Rehavam, Mount Ebal, and Homesh-;- and five settlements in the Ramallah Governorate. God: Atarot Eder, Beit Horon North, Inbar, Ahiya, and Adei Ad, one settlement in the Jerusalem Governorate: Nofei Prat, and one settlement in the Salfit Governorate: Havot Yair.
With the knowledge of Smotrich, and the Civil Administration, the Israeli Ministry of Heritage has begun excavations to establish what it calls the ‘Samaria National Park’ at the archaeological site of Sebastia, following the Israeli government s decision on the matter. Israeli Heritage Minister Amhai Eliyahu claimed that ‘Sebastia is one of the most important historical sites in our national and historical heritage, and that the establishment of the Samaria National Park is an important step in preserving the Jewish heritage and the cultural heritage of Israel, and that the government has allocated a budget of 32 million shekels for this purpose’.
In the meantime, on June 24, the Israeli Civil Administration announced a building permit exemption for the construction of a fence, gates, ambient lighting, and concrete shelters around the Mas udia train station ‘also known as the Sebastia train station, allocating a budget of NIS 3.5 million to renovate the building and establish a tourist center. The historic train station is located north of Nablus, in an area devoid of Israeli settlements, adjacent to Area B, and close to a resort used by Palestinian residets as a park.
Due to the lack of an approved development´-or-building plan for the site, the Civil Administration utilized a ‘bypass planning’ procedure that allows for the establishment of settlement outposts without going through the lengthy planning process. Transforming the train station into a tourist site is part of a broader plan to strengthen its presence in the densely populated Palestinian areas between Nablus and Jenin, following the Knesset s repeal of the Disengagement Law in March 2023, which allowed Israelis to return to the area. Since then, the government has promoted a series of settlement projects north of Nablus, licensing the Homesh outpost, advancing archaeological development at the Sebastia site - where work recently began - and, in May, approving the establishment of the Sanur and Homesh settlements.
The Israeli Peace Now Movement commented, asserting that transforming the Masoudia train station into a tourist site is, in effect, the establishment of a new settlement. This is not a heritage site, but rather part of a deliberate government plan to implant settlements deep within a densely populated Palestinian area between Nablus and Jenin. These projects will increase the security burden, deepen the occupation, and promote the annexation of territory. It added that the only ‘heritage’ being promoted here is the legacy of lawlessness and violence embraced by the Gush Emunim settlement movement, which acted illegally, clashed with security forces, and imposed facts on the ground for which the State of Israel continues to pay a heavy price to this day.
Looking back at the timeline in this regard, it becomes clear that in December 2023, FM Smotrich instructed the Knesset Finance Committee to approve the transfer of NIS 3.5 million to the ‘Samaria Regional Heritage Project’. The explanatory notes explained that the funds were intended ‘to preserve and -restore- the site of the Mas oudia train station in Samaria, the site where settlement in the area began following the 1967 war in the early 1970s.’ In 1974-1975, thousands of settler demonstrators gathered at the site in an attempt to establish a settlement there.
At the time, the Israeli government opposed the establishment of settlements deep inside the West Bank, focusing its efforts on the Jordan Valley. The demonstrators were forcibly removed, leading to violent clashes between them and security forces. A compromise was eventually reached: the settlers agreed to peacefully evacuate the train station in exchange for government approval to establish a settlement near the village of Kafr Qaddum, on the site of a former military base. It was later known as the settlement of Kedumim.
In a dangerous development, Israeli Security, Katz said, during a briefing to reporters on the 7thof this month that ‘setting fire to Palestinian towns by Jews is not considered terrorism.’ It is well known that Katz had canceled administrative detention orders against terrorist settlers on Dec. 17 of last year, thus implementing his declared policy of not prosecuting terrorist settlers by not issuing administrative detention orders against them, despite their danger.
This came after he decided on Dec. 13 of last year to release settler Itiel Ben-Tzruya, who had been issued a six-month administrative detention order following his participation with other terrorist settlers in burning Palestinian property in the village of Yatma in the Nablus Governorate and attacks in the village of Jit in the Qalqilia Governorate. This decision was disregarded by the position of a number of legal experts that this is illegal and violates the basic principles of international and administrative law, opening the door to further international arrest warrants against political and security officials in Israel, including Katz himself.
Within the context, Katz had rejected a request by the Israeli Internal Security Service ‘Shin Bet’ to issue an administrative detention order against a settler suspected of involvement in terrorist crimes against Palestinians in the West Bank. He stressed that he preferred ‘religious supervision’ by rabbis rather than security prosecution, despite his knowledge of the true relationship between a large number of settlement rabbis and those suspected of involvement in terrorist crimes against Palestinians, such as Rabbi Yitzhak Ginzburg, head of the terrorist ‘Way of Life movement’, who represents the spiritual authority of the Hilltop Youth and whose pictures are adorned at major intersections in the West Bank.
Katz wasn t satisfied with these arrangements, but followed them up with the decision to appoint reserve Colonel General Avichai Tanami, a right-wing settler and member of the ‘Security Forces organization’, which includes former officers belonging to the extreme right, as the special coordinator for dealing with the terrorist Hilltop Youth - Price Tag in the West Bank. This decision aligns with the positions of forces such as ‘Religious Zionism’ led by Smotrich and ‘Otzma Yehudit’ led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, which provide full political cover for these terrorist groups.
Katz s position also comes after settler terrorism reached its peak with the criminal act carried out by dozens of settlers in the town of Kafr Malik in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate on June 25, which resulted in 3 martyrs and several wounded by the bullets of these terrorists. With the rise of these new martyrs in Kafr Malik, the number of martyrs who fell at the hands of these terrorist groups since Oct. 7, 2023, is approaching the mark of thirty martyrs.
On another note, Likud Party ministers and Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana called on Netanyahu to annex the occupied West Bank. This came in a letter signed by 14 ministers and Ohanas, sent to Netanyahu, and published by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on the X platform. The signatories said in their letter: ‘We, ministers and members of Knesset, demand the immediate application of Israeli sovereignty ‘annexation’ and law to Judea and Samaria ‘the biblical name for the West Bank.’
Adding that, tThe time has come for the government to approve the decision to apply sovereignty ‘from today until the end of the summer parliamentary session’ on July 27.’ The signatories of the letter believed that ‘the strategic partnership and the support and assistance of Trump create an opportune moment to push for the implementation of this step ‘annexation’ now.’
The letter was signed by the ministers of defense, economy, agriculture, energy, communications, transportation, justice, tourism, innovation, science and technology, culture and sports, diaspora affairs, education, social equality, and regional cooperation, in addition to the speaker of the Knesset. Netanyahu had made it clear at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Army Committee last May that Tel Aviv ‘will be able to annex 30%’ of the occupied West Bank, stressing that he had no disagreement with Trump, and that what was being promoted regarding this in the media, his motives are political.
List of Israeli Assaults over the Last Week Documented by the National Bureau:
Jerusalem:
- Demolishing a building in the Anata town, in the AL-Salam Suburb, which included 15 shops and about 8 residential apartments, belonging to citizens Moh’d Hamza Ghaith and Yassin Ibrahim Abu Shamsiya, as well as two tin houses belonging to Bedouin families, Yahya and Younis Abu Ghalya. They also destroyed more than 50 water tanks, which were used by families in the area to secure their daily needs, in light of the absence of infrastructure services and the scarcity of water sources.
- Uprooting areas of agricultural land planted with fig, grape and olive trees in the Al-Mashtal area east of Al-Eizariya. Meanwhile, the occupation authorities and settlers forced the residents of the Al-Hathroura Bedouin community in Khan Al-Ahmar, which consists of 15 families with a total of 90 members, to emigrate and forcibly dismantle their tents, following a series of attacks carried out by settlers.
- Storming a house near the Qattanin Market adjacent to the western wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Hosh Al-Zaria in the Old City, where they ‘forcefully broke the door of the house and began dancing and singing inside under the protection of the occupation police
Hebron:
- Releasing their livestock into olive groves in the Shaab al-Batm area in Masafer Yatta, others set up a tent near citizens homes in the village of Susya, the second they have set up in the same area. A settler tent is also set up on top of Mount al-Hadeeb, north of Hebron.
- Notifying residents of In the town of Idhna of the demolition and suspension of work for a number of homes and facilities west of the town, and of the demolition of a number of shops in the village of al-Ramadin. In the town of Surif, settlers attacked residents and set fire to agricultural land in the al-Watwat area, near the Beit Ein settlement. Later, occupation forces stormed the town and chased citizens, who were trying to repel the settlers attack, injuring two of them.
- Erecting 3 mobile homes in Jabal al-Rahma, adjacent to the Tel Rumeida settlement, and 3 other homes in the Khazaf al-Far and Souq al-Ataq areas in the old city, the Jabal al-Rahma, Hebron,.
Bethlehem:
- Attacking citizens in Kisan village and assaulted them while they were in their homes, breaking windows and solar energy units, and attempting to steal livestock.
- Closing the main entrance to the village of Jouret ash-Sham a, south of Bethlehem, with an iron gate, preventing citizens from entering´-or-leaving.
- Assaulting a number of shepherds and expelled them at gunpoint in an attempt to instill fear and prevent them from reaching their pastures around the village of al-Minya,.
- Seizing 6 dunams in the Ein al-Qaisis area, west of al-Khader town, with the aim of expanding the ‘Sidi Boaz settlement outpost’, which had previously devoured about 100 dunams of agricultural land. They also began bulldozing vast areas of land in the town of Tequ in preparation for paving a new settlement road in the area, and were stationed in the areas of Qannan Saqir and Fasoura.
Ramallah:
- Attacking the Jaljalia village north of the West Bank and the Sinjil town and attempted to burn down a house belonging to a Palestinian citizen. The residents confronted them, while others from the settlement outpost
- Firing at citizens in the ‘Al-Qalaa area’ east of the village of Al-Mughayyir. In another attack on the town of Sinjil, 3 citizens ere injured during renewed clashes with settlers, while the residents of the towns of Sinjil and Al-Mazra a Al-Sharqiya confronted an attack launched by dozens of settlers in the Jabal Al-Batin area to the south.
- assaulting a Palestinian shepherd in a pasture located in the eastern part of the Kafr Maliktown, before withdrawing towards a nearby settlement outpost.
- Seizing 744 dunams of Al-Mughayyir lands according to a new declaration under the name ‘state lands.’ The new declaration targets the area on which the ‘Malachi Hashalom’ outpost is located, which constitutes a new extension of the number of outposts located in the area.
- Demolishing a three-story residential building that housed about 50 people, each floor was 180m2 in the Kharbatha Al-Misbah village. The village is subject to repeated demolitions as part of the occupation s attempts to forcibly displace its residents and uproot them from their land.
- Demolishing 5 houses some of which were under construction in the town of Shuqba, northwest of Ramallah. In addition to the demolition of two agricultural barracks, walls around homes, and a home in the village of Um Safa, belonging to citizen Khaled Abu Allan, noting that the occupation prevents him from reaching his home located near the settlement outpost that the settlers established since the middle of last year.
Nablus:
- Injuring 3 citizens after settlers assaulted them by beating them in the village of Beita, and 8 others were injured after inhaling tear gas fired by the occupation soldiers. Meanwhile, a number of settlers attacked the home of Samer Abu Zeitoun in the Qamas’ area near Jabal Sabih, east of the town, and attempted to burn the house, and assaulted 3 citizens, who confronted them.
- Chopping dozens of trees opposite the Sufan family s home in the village of Burin. Another group attacked citizen Zaher -dir-iya, a resident of Aqraba, while he was grazing sheep in the lands of Jurish and stole his sheep.
- Attacking citizens homes and threw stones and pieces of iron at them in the Sebastia town.
- Demolishing a two-story house belonging to citizen Khaled Al-Siksik, after forcing his family to evacuate it in the village of Rujeib.
- Closing a road connecting the towns of Aqraba and Majdal Bani Fadel with earth mounds, after bulldozing parts of it, and destroyed a water pipeline between the villages that supplies the villages of Jurish, Qusra, Qaryut, Jalud, Duma, Talfit, and Majdal Bani Fadel.
- Erecting 4 tents near the villages of Barqa and Beit Imrin, which portends that they are the nucleus of a new settlement outpost in the area. Injuring 10 citizens including 3 with live bullets, and 7 as a result of physical assault, including a child.
- Burning a vehicle inside the town of Aqraba and the neighboring Khirbet al-Tawil, and vandalized citizens tents and property in Khirbet al-Tawil.
Jordan Valley:
- Forcing Palestinian shepherds to leave their pastures in the northern Jordan Valley and chased their livestock east of al-Farisiya. Other settlers forcibly evicted citizens from their tents in the Lubbeh area of al-Sakut and seized them.
- Attacking citizens and their tents in Khirbet al-Farisiya in the Nab Ghazal area, intimidating them, stormed the village of Shalal al-Auja and grazed their livestock among citizens homes.
- Paving a military road on citizens lands in Khirbet Ibziq, northeast of Tubas, and declared it a ‘military closed area.’ In Khirbet al-Farisiya, a group of settlers also stole equipment used for raising livestock, as part of the daily violations the area is subjected to attacking the Khallet Khader area in the village and stole equipment used for managing and caring for livestock.
- Destroying an internet network in the Burj area, which was intended to provide the area with internet services in the northern Jordan Valley.
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