Israeli Minister Smotrich Says He Will Judaize Negev and Galilee — Anadolu Agency
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that measures carried out in the West Bank will be implemented on a scale three times greater in the Negev in the south of the country and Galilee in the north. In a post on social media platform X, he responded to an Al Jazeera report on the Judaization of Galilee, Anadolu Agency reports.
Plan for new settlements
On August 28, Smotrich announced a plan to bring 1 million Jews to the Negev and Galilee, calling it a continuation of the “settlement revolution” in the occupied West Bank. According to him, the plan provides for the creation of 20 new settlements in Galilee and another 20 in the Negev, the establishment of dozens of farms, encouraging relocation to locations he described as “strategic,” as well as removing, in his words, planning barriers to settlement construction.
In northern Israel, Palestinians make up about 53% of the population, while Jews account for the remainder. In the Negev, Jews are estimated to make up 70–75% and Arab Bedouins 25–30%.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Demolitions in the West Bank
On the previous day, Smotrich announced the expansion of settlements and the demolition of dozens of Palestinian structures in the occupied West Bank. He said that his government had spent four years working to expand settlements and “eliminate threats on an unprecedented scale.”
According to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Israeli authorities carried out 71 demolition operations in the West Bank in August, affecting 155 structures. These included 47 inhabited homes, eight uninhabited homes, 33 facilities that served as sources of livelihood, 61 agricultural structures, and six other facilities. The commission also reported 44 demolition notices concerning Palestinian structures and property.
Israel has occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 1967. The international community considers Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory illegal under international law.
