West Jerusalem has moved to register large areas in the occupied territories as \u201cstate property\u201d for the first time since 1967<\/p>\n
The Israeli security cabinet has approved a proposal to register large areas in the West Bank as \u201cstate property\u201d for the first time since occupation began in 1967 following the Six-Day War.
\nThe new decision builds on a move by the cabinet last weekend, when it made it easier for Jewish settlers to buy land in the West Bank and repealed a law dating back to times of Jordanian control over the area to make land registries public rather than private.
\nThe proposal was tabled by hardline nationalist officials, Deputy PM and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The sponsors hailed its adoption as a major breakthrough and a \u201ctrue revolution\u201d to accelerate the settlement process.
\n\u201cThe renewal of the land regulation in Judea and Samaria is a vital security and governance move aimed at ensuring Israel\u2019s control, enforcement, and full operational freedom in the area,\u201d Katz said in a statement, referring to the West Bank by its Israeli toponyms.<\/p>\n
Read more<\/p>\n
UK urges Israel to reverse West Bank move<\/p>\n
The move is aimed at \u201crestoring order and governance\u201d in the West Bank, Smotrich added, hailing the decision as one of the most significant steps to tighten Israel\u2019s control over the region taken since the Six-Day War. \u201cThe State of Israel is taking responsibility for its land and is acting according to the law, transparently and decisively,\u201d the minister asserted.
\nLast weekend\u2019s decision by the Israeli cabinet garnered widespread international condemnation, with multiple countries urging West Jerusalem to repeal it immediately. The latest move is bound to meet a similar reaction, given that it is illegal for an occupying power to confiscate or settle land in the territories it holds under its control.
\nThe Israeli government has long been pushing to annex the West Bank despite international condemnation and opposition of its main ally, the US. President Donald Trump has repeatedly spoken against the move, insisting that the annexation \u201cis not going to happen.\u201d
\nThe Palestinian Presidency has strongly condemned the latest Israeli decision, calling it a \u201cserious escalation.\u201d The Israeli move effectively voids multiple signed agreements and openly contradicts UN Security Council resolutions, the presidency said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
West Jerusalem has moved to register large areas in the occupied territories as \u201cstate property\u201d for the first time since 1967 The Israeli security cabinet has approved a proposal to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29111,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,6,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-environment","category-politics"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t