The West Bank revolution: How Bezalel Smotrich changed Israel's map for the better - opinion

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has reshaped settlement policy in Judea and Samaria since 2022, with 104 communities approved or legalized. The government approved 34 communities in summer 2026 alone. The piece argues this makes a Palestinian state virtually impossible, framing the policy as a strategic necessity.

Since the current government took office at the end of 2022, it has approved the establishment or retroactive legalization of 104 Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry, has been at the center of this transformation. In 2023, he was given broad authority over civilian affairs in the region through the newly created Settlement Administration. This past summer alone, the government approved plans and funding for 34 communities. As of January 1, 541,085 Jews lived in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley, an increase of 2.2% in a single year. The piece argues that strengthening the Jewish presence in northern Samaria reinforces Israel's hold on the mountain ridge overlooking its heartland, while the Jordan Valley provides strategic depth. The author contends that Smotrich has changed the map, making a Palestinian state virtually impossible.