Israeli Government Approves Resumption of "Land Settlement" in the West Bank to Convert It into State Property

SadaNews - The Israeli government approved on Sunday a proposal to resume the "land registration" process in the occupied West Bank, allowing the reactivation of what is known as "land settlement" in preparation for confiscation, for the first time since the occupation of the West Bank in 1967.

The decision was based on a proposal presented by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Finance Minister and Minister in the Ministry of Defense Bezalel Smotrich, and Minister of Security Israel Katz.

According to the decision, the process of registering land in the occupied West Bank areas will be opened, enabling the registration of large areas in the name of the state after carrying out a confiscation process in the absence of any other owner, according to mechanisms that will be determined later.

Smotrich stated that the government "continues the settlement revolution and is committed to every part of our land," adding that "organized land settlement prevents disputes, creates legal certainty, prevents unilateral actions, and allows for legal and responsible development."

He continued: "The State of Israel bears responsibility for its lands and acts according to the law with transparency and determination." This decision marks the first official resumption of the "land registration" process in the West Bank since it was halted after the June 1967 war.

The government had paved the way for this step over the past months through ministerial and governmental procedures following a preliminary decision issued by the "cabinet" about six months ago that addressed the issue of annexation and sovereignty.

Practically, the government decision stipulates the establishment of a settlement administration, supervised by what is called the Israeli Land Registration and Settlement Authority.

Under its administration, several settlement offices will operate distributed according to regional divisions, to coordinate and implement the land settlement process in an organized and gradual manner.

Converting Large Areas into "State Land"

Under the decision, the commander of the Central Command of the Israeli army will be required to complete the settlement of 15% of the lands in the West Bank by the end of 2030. At this stage, the implementation of the decision is restricted to Area C only.

It is noteworthy that the land settlement process has not been witnessed in the West Bank since the 1967 war, raising questions about its impact on the legal and political status in the occupied Palestinian territories of 1967.

The main meaning of the decision is the conversion of large areas of the West Bank into state-owned lands, provided that no other private ownership is proven.

However, according to the Israeli newspaper "Israel Hayom," the process will be slow, cautious, and deliberate, after the regulatory authorities obtain all legal information related to each area to ensure "completion of the procedures in a legal and accurate manner."

Other outcomes of the decision include enhancing steps for annexation and imposing sovereignty in the West Bank "from the ground up," as expressed by the newspaper. In other words, even in the absence of an official political decision to apply the law, Israel is working to reinforce its control over the land by registering lands that are not owned by others in the land registry, significantly entrenching its control over those areas.

Given the legal complexity present in the West Bank in many aspects, the Israeli government believes that organizing the registration of all lands in the area will take about 30 years.

Consequently, a relatively limited target has been set at this stage, covering 15% of the lands over a five-year period.

This decision, according to the newspaper, aims to halt a parallel process that the Palestinian Authority has been conducting for years, as the decision indicated that the Palestinian expansion in Area C is advancing at an accelerated pace and may lead to significant difficulties in taking control of lands in the future and converting them for settlement.

It is mentioned that between 1917 and 1948, Palestine was under British mandate, and with the Nakba and the establishment of Israel on the ruins of the Palestinian people, all non-owned lands, i.e., the lands of Palestinian refugees, became state property.

As for the lands of the West Bank, they remained under the control of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which continued to register some lands, recording ownership of about a third of the area during that period. After Israel occupied the West Bank in the June 1967 war, the registration process was halted, and the situation has remained the same for nearly sixty years since then.