Israeli cabinet set to approve $350 million to establish 61 new West Bank settlements - report
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is said to be championing the plan, looking for approval ahead of a possible vote to dissolve the current right-wing coalition government
Israel's cabinet is expected to approve a plan Thursday to allocate more than $350 million to fund the de facto establishment of 61 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. This is according to a draft government decision obtained by Axios reporter Barak Ravid.
The proposal would finance temporary residential compounds, public buildings, and infrastructure for the new settlements before formal planning procedures are completed. Many of the settlements are said to be in strategically sensitive areas, particularly in locations designed to create territorial continuity between existing settlements.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is allegedly championing this plan.
It also comes at a crucial moment for the ruling Likud party, as this vote is happening amid a possible vote to dissolve the Knesset and trigger new elections. This would make large-scale budget allocations more difficult, particularly for more right-wing and expansionist political groups.
The proposal follows a government decision approved last week, allocating roughly $35 million for planning and regulatory work related to the same settlements.
The move comes amid broader international pressure over settlement expansion. On Monday, the UK, Canada, France, Norway, Australia, and New Zealand imposed coordinated sanctions on networks financing settler violence in the West Bank. Israel's Foreign Ministry rejected the measures as "disgraceful," saying they were an attempt to impose a political stance "regarding the right of Jews to live in the Land of Israel."