Jerusalem: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has earmarked 2.7 billion shekels (approximately $843 million) over the next five years to expand settlement activity in the occupied West Bank, a move described by local media as a form of 'de facto annexation.'
According to Anadolu Agency, the funds are designated for building new settlements, opening access roads, strengthening security, and formalizing land records, representing an unprecedented allocation.
A significant aspect of the plan involves relocating three Israeli army bases to northern West Bank areas, which has been highlighted as a major step. The budget covers the transfer of military bases, infrastructure development for new settlements, access roads, and expanded defense systems. The five-year package aims to strengthen Israeli governance in the West Bank, effectively constituting annexation. Under the plan, Israel will establish 'absorption clusters' consisting of 20 mobile homes each, allowing settlers to form new settlement nuclei.
The government will allocate 300 million shekels ($93.4 million) to new settlements, with 160 million shekels ($49.8 million) in establishment grants and 140 million shekels ($43.6 million) for organizational activities. Existing settlements will receive 434 million shekels ($135 million) for infrastructure upgrades, and an additional 300 million shekels ($93.4 million) will be directed to regional and local settler councils.
A notable measure of the plan is the allocation of 225 million shekels ($70 million) to create a land-registration unit. Previously, purchases in the West Bank were recorded with the Israeli Civil Administration rather than Israel's official land registry. The new plan aims to map and transfer land records to a dedicated West Bank registry, employing 41 staff to formalize approximately 60,000 dunams by 2030.
Additionally, 140 million shekels ($43.6 million) are allocated to open access roads, primarily for army needs, while 150 million shekels ($46.6 million) over three years will be used to upgrade armored school buses. Defense Minister Israel Katz is expected to allocate further funds for settlement security, including smart fences, equipment sites, cameras, and other systems.
Smotrich expressed pride in leading a 'revolution that cancels the idea of dividing the land and establishing a terrorist state, strengthening Israel's security.' He has consistently pledged to block the creation of a Palestinian state and has advocated for the annexation of about 82% of the West Bank. Peace Now, an anti-settlement group, estimates around 500,000 settlers live in West Bank settlements and another 250,000 in East Jerusalem. The International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal in a landmark opinion last year, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.