New Israeli settlements in the West Bank de facto mean increased Israeli control, and make it more difficult to implement a two-state solution in the future.
“The Security Cabinet’s approval today of a series of decisions entails fundamental changes in the legal and factual situation in Judea and Samaria,” the Security Cabinet announced, using biblical names for the West Bank.
The proposal to lift the ban on Jewish citizens buying land in the West Bank, among other things, was presented by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz. Both belong to the government's religious right-wing faction.
