Smotrich to Allow Israel to Demolish Palestinian Construction in A. B and C

The plan, if implemented, will signify a sharp shift in Israeli policy 

By Hagar Shezaf, HAARETZ 17.7.23

Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Finance Minister and minister in the Defense Department, said at a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that he is working on a plan that would allow Israel to demolish buildings deemed to be “national security threats” in areas A and B of the West Bank – lands which are under Palestinian Authority control.

Smotrich’s plan signals a shift in Israel’s policy with regard to enforcing construction violations in the West Bank, which, in accordance with the Oslo Accords, was carried out only in Area C until now.

Smotrich is in charge of most of the Civil Administration, Israel’s governing body in the West Bank. He added that he intends to form a committee of government directors general to implement his idea, and that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also involved in the matter.

“We really hope that we will finish this work within a month, get it validated by the prime minister and bring it to the cabinet,” he said. Smotrich said that according to the plan, the state will declare activities by the Palestinian Authority as foreign hostile activity, with the goal also being to confiscate funds from the PA. The remarks were made in the context of a discussion regarding construction initiated by the PA.

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The topic of the committee meeting was “The Palestinian Authority’s takeover of open areas in Judea and Samaria and the Israeli response.” The discussion was unusual because the bulk of it focused not on Area C, where Israeli holds enforcement authority, but rather areas A and B, where Israel has no such authority, according to the Oslo Accords.

Smotrich added that there are also plans to create a Border Police unit similar to the Yoav police unit, which will be dedicated to enforcement of construction law enforcement. He said that the rule of law and order are important values related to enforcement, but that the most important value in the West Bank is “protecting Israel’s national and security interests.”

He added that his plan is guided by “national security considerations, and it’s key to our ability to operate in areas A and B, too, in places where it’s needed.” He said his people were currently mapping the PA’s building strategy in the West Bank.

Smotrich also said that there are joint plans of the administration and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael (JNF) to plant 10,000 dunams (2,500 acres) of trees in the West Bank in two projects. “The [PA] actively works to seize lands. We need to do the same thing,” he said. “[This means] legalization, construction, agriculture. “

He said that the two forestation projects are supposed to be approved by the JNF board soon, and that there is coordination regarding the projects with Yesh Atid and the National Unity Party. He added his people are working on getting approval for 50 illegal farms in the West Bank. “Then we’ll be able to help them a little with new roads, water and electricity infrastructure and establishing other such farms,” he said.

Army representatives at the meeting said that the state rejects 90 to 95 percent of Palestinian building requests, while it approves 60 to 70 percent of settler requests.

The representative added that the high rejection rate for Palestinian plans stems from long-term plans for the land or political reasons. He said many of the plans are for retroactively approving illegal construction.

Likud MK Avichai Boaron, who initiated the committee meeting, noted that “a comprehensive discussion on the situation in Judea and Samaria, particularly in Areas A and B, has not taken place to date, irrespective of political affiliations.”

The discussion was based on materials submitted by the Regavim association, which Smotrich had a role in founding alongside Yehuda Elian, the head of the Judea and Samaria Settlement Authority.

MK Gilad Kariv (Labor), who attended the meeting, told Haaretz: “The meeting proved that Israel has two prime ministers. One speaks about the need to strengthen the Palestinian Authority, and the other moves to annihilate it.”