De facto sovereignty? Smotrich to demand cancellation of Civil Administration

MK Bezalel Smotrich, Religious Zionism chief, to demand changes in how construction is approved in Judea & Samaria in coalition negotiations.

Israel National News


Bezalel SmotrichPhoto by Yossi Aloni/Flash90

Religious Zionism chief MK Bezalel Smotrich will demand the cancellation of the Civil Administration for Judea and Samaria as part of the coalition agreements, Israel Hayom reported.

According to the report, Smotrich’s plans would see the cancellation of the Civil Administration, with the services it currently provides being transferred to the authority of the relevant government ministries. Such a step is seen by many as progress in applying de facto Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria.

According to Israel Hayom, Smotrich will also demand the cancellation of the double approval required from the political echelon in order to build in Judea and Samaria.

Currently, the Prime Minister and Defense Minister must approve every construction plan at two different stages of the construction, creating conflict and drawing condemnation from the world twice. Smotrich is therefore planning to demand that the political echelon be required to approve construction plans only once.

A statement from Smotrich’s office read: “Smotrich’s ideological depth is already well-known to the citizens of Israel. The chairman of Religious Zionism has made his views and work plans accessible to the citizens of Israel for years, with transparency. The right-wing has won the public’s faith and expects its chosen candidates to keep their promises. Religious Zionism will raise these issues in the negotiations room, and will definitely demand that the right govern and keep its word and its promises to the public.”

November 9, 2022 | 4 Comments »

Leave a Reply

4 Comments / 4 Comments

  4. What does he want to change?

    Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria are under military government, with the IDF’s Civil Administration signing orders to apply most of the same laws to them as sovereign Israel. Smotrich seeks to dismantle the Civil Administration entirely.

    Moving the authority over settlements from the military to the regular government would be akin to extending Israel’s sovereignty to those parts of the West Bank, a step towards annexation.

    The Civil Administration is an Israeli institution which has been long corrupted against the security interests and land rights of the Jewish people going back nearly twenty years. It should be ripped out, root, stem and leaf – not during this administration, but upon its very formation for which Smotrich is wisely advocating. Whereas the election is over, and the nation needs to come together to support the govt which will represent and rule the entire country, the election was clear about the policies which should be guiding the govt as it does exactly this. The elimination of the vile, self destructive fifth column within the govt, known as the Civil Administration, would be a very clear and poignant statement that the govt recognizes the will of the people, and, furthermore, that they intend to pursue that will as they govern.