Khaberni - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said during his raid on the town of Ni'lin west of Ramallah, on Monday, that the Security Political Council approved the removal of barriers and the enhancement of settlements in the West Bank.
Smotrich said: "The Security Political Council approved a series of decisions that I formulated with Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, which were aimed at removing old barriers and enhancing settlement in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) in an organized and responsible manner."
He added, "One of the fundamental steps is opening up the land registries in the West Bank to the public. For years, these registries were secret, which complicated land purchases and led to a lack of transparency. Lifting the secrecy will increase certainty and allow for a more honest and transparent practice in the land market."
Smotrich pointed out that "in addition, we have abolished the old Jordanian regulations that prohibited selling land to Jews and required complicated procedures to obtain ‘transaction permits’. From now on, it will be possible to buy land in the West Bank through a simpler and more transparent process, similar to what is done in the Green Line areas, according to reasonable professional terms."
Smotrich said, "In Hebron, we made a decision to transfer the authority to issue building permits in the settlements and holy sites from Palestinian entities to the planning institutions of the Civil Administration, to enable more efficient and stable planning. At the same time, we strengthened the powers of Hebron administration to address the municipal needs of the residents directly."
He continued: "In addition, we have expanded our activities in the field of monitoring and enforcement related to water, heritage, and environmental hazards—also in areas (A) and (B)—to protect the natural resources and heritage throughout the region."
Smotrich saw that "these decisions are another step towards removing the discrimination and barriers that have accumulated over the years. We act responsibly and wisely within a clear legal framework, to enhance stability, create certainty, and establish a stable reality for the coming years."
He concluded by emphasizing that Israel "strengthens its control over the land and eradicates the idea of establishing an Arab terrorist state in the heart of the country."
