Katz and Smotrich frame move as Zionist bulwark; Israel weighs annexation of large chunks of Judea and Samaria if allies reward Palestinian terror with statehood. Unclear if France, UK and Canada will betray the Jewish State at Arab Summit. The US on paper opposes unilateral acts, but with capricious Trump who knows?

In a landmark decision with far-reaching implications, Israel’s Defense Ministry confirmed government approval this week for the establishment of 22 new Jewish communities across Judea and Samaria (West Bank). The move includes the formal legalization of previously unauthorized outposts and was hailed by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as a decisive strategic response to mounting international pressure for the recognition of a Palestinian state.

“The new settlements are all placed within a long-term strategic vision, whose goal is to strengthen the Israeli hold on the territory, to avoid the establishment of a Palestinian state, and to create the basis for future development of settlement in the coming decades,” the Defense Ministry stated Thursday.

Smotrich described the announcement as “a once-in-a-generation decision,” declaring: “Settlement in the land our ancestors inherited is a protective wall for the State of Israel — and today we have taken a huge step for its strengthening. The next step—sovereignty!”

The full list of the 22 authorized communities underscores the geographic spread and strategic intent behind the decision. It includes a mix of entirely new settlements and the retroactive legalization of existing outposts across key areas in Judea and Samaria:

1. Atarot Eder – Between Qalandiya and Rafat (Ramallah district); new.
2. Beit Horon North – South of Ein Ariq (Ramallah); new.
3. Inbar – West of Ofarim (Ramallah); new.
4. Ahiya – East of Shilo (Ramallah); legalization.
5. Nofei Prat – North of Maale Adumim (Jerusalem); separation from Kfar Adumim.
6. Adei Ad – East of Shilo (Ramallah); legalization.
7. Ir Hatmarim – North of Jericho (Jordan Valley); legalization.
8. Gvionit – East of Hemdat (Tubas); new.
9. Tevez – West of Rotem (Tubas); new.
10. Gadi Camp – North of Masu’a (Jericho); legalization.
11. Maalot Halhul – East of Halhul (Hebron); new.
12. Afeka – South of Dura (Hebron); legalization.
13. Yonadav – South of Dahariya (Hebron); new.
14. Mitzpe Ziv – South of Bani Na’im (Hebron); legalization.
15. Kedem Arava – Southeast of Jericho (Jericho); legalization.
16. Homesh – North of Burqa (Nablus); legalization of former settlement evacuated in 2005.
17. Sa-Nur – North of Silet a-Dhahr (Jenin); re-establishment of evacuated community.
18. Mount Ibal – North of Nablus (Nablus); new.
19. El-Nave – South of Zabda (Jenin); legalization.
20. Rehavam – South of Aqraba (Nablus); legalization.
21. Maoz Zvi – South of Ya’bed (Jenin); legalization.
22. Havot Yair – North of Qarawat Bani Hassan (Salfit); legalization.

Four of the new communities are strategically positioned along the Jordan Valley, reinforcing Israel’s eastern border and national defense framework. The inclusion of Homesh and Sa-Nur marks a dramatic reversal of the 2005 disengagement policy, after the repeal last year of the law that had barred Israelis from reentering those areas.

“This decision paves the way for the renewal of Jewish settlement in Homesh and Sa-Nur — a process that corrects a historic injustice,” the ministry emphasized.

The announcement comes amid rising concern in Israel over a new diplomatic front: an international summit planned for next month in New York, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, which aims to reignite efforts toward a two-state solution.

While France insists it has no intention to “impose anything,” Israeli officials are wary. “The summit goes far beyond recognition. The goal is to launch an irreversible dynamic toward peace between Israel and the Palestinians,” French diplomatic sources told Ynet.

Still, Israeli estimates suggest President Emmanuel Macron will avoid any formal recognition of a Palestinian state at the summit—at least for now. “Officials estimate Macron won’t act to enforce Palestinian state recognition in the upcoming Saudi Arabia summit while the U.S. opposes unilateral moves,” journalist Itamar Eichner reported this week.

The summit follows December 2024’s UN General Assembly Resolution 79/81 urging member states to recognize Palestine. Among the expected agenda items:

1. Recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state.
2. Mutual normalization with Israel from Muslim states (e.g., Indonesia’s conditional offer).
3. Security guarantees for both peoples, including the disarmament of Hamas.
4. Institutional reforms to strengthen the Palestinian Authority and exclude Hamas.

The French embassy in Israel cited the ongoing Gaza conflict, the humanitarian situation, and recent settler-related incidents as reasons why “the two-state solution is more threatened than ever.”

Israel, however, has made clear that if allies move toward unilateral recognition, it may respond in kind—with the application of sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria and possible closure of foreign missions, such as France’s consulate in Jerusalem. “France doesn’t set its foreign policy based on threats,” a French source responded.

U.S. opposition remains firm. Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Kelley told the Security Council: “The U.S. firmly rejects any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state or attempts to impose terms on Israel—this would be an unthinkable reward for Hamas’s barbaric attack that killed and kidnapped Israelis and Americans.”

In Israel, the message is sharpening. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana responded directly to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot’s remarks: “There’s been no 30-year Israeli consensus on a Palestinian state—quite the opposite. The Knesset has overwhelmingly voted against unilateral recognition and even the state’s establishment. We’re in a clash of civilizations, and right now, you’re on the wrong side of history.”

With diplomacy and settlement policy now advancing in parallel, Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria is no longer a distant scenario—it is increasingly discussed as the natural next step.

Sources:

• Defense Ministry, May 29, 2025
• Times of Israel, Ynet, Israel Hayom
• Statements by Israel Katz, Bezalel Smotrich, Amir Ohana
• UNGA Resolution 79/81
• French and U.S. diplomatic statements
• Itamar Eichner reporting for Ynet