Jerusalem, Israel. Israel’s cabinet approved further measures to tighten control over the occupied West Bank, including steps to begin land registration for the first time since 1967. Palestinians condemned the move as a “de-facto annexation.”
Cabinet decision and land registration
Ministers voted in favour of beginning a process of land registration, a week after approving another series of measures in the West Bank that drew international condemnation. The cabinet said in a statement that the decision was an “appropriate response to illegal land registration processes promoted by the Palestinian Authority.”
The foreign ministry said the measure would promote transparency and help resolve land disputes.
Political context and government positions
The West Bank is among the territories that Palestinians seek for a future independent state. Much of it is under Israeli military control, with limited Palestinian self-rule in some areas run by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing an election later this year, deems the establishment of any Palestinian state a security threat. His ruling coalition, which has a large voter base in the settlements, includes many members who want Israel to annex the West Bank, land captured in the 1967 Middle East war to which Israel cites biblical and historical ties.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said: “We are continuing the revolution of settlement and strengthening our hold across all parts of our land.” Defence Minister Israel Katz said land registration was a vital security measure.
Palestinian response and watchdog concerns
The Palestinian presidency condemned the step, saying it constitutes “a de-facto annexation of occupied Palestinian territory and a declaration of the commencement of annexation plans aimed at entrenching the occupation through illegal settlement activity.”
Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now said the measure could lead to dispossession of Palestinians from up to half of the West Bank.
How do you think the land registration process will affect land disputes in the West Bank?
