Israel Defense Forces Central Command head Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth on Monday signed an order regulating the boundaries of 13 recently-approved Jewish communities in Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
The order, that establishes the so-called “jurisdiction zone,” or municipal boundaries, is the first step in legalizing the nascent towns and will allow for their development and expansion, Israel National News reported.
The next and final step is the issuing of an official “settlement symbol” by the Israeli Interior Ministry, after which the communities are considered legal by Jerusalem for all intents and purposes.
Bluth signed off on the jurisdiction of Ahiya, Harasha, Migron, Nofei Prat, Adei Ad and Shvut Rachel in the Binyamin region of southern Samaria; Sa-Nur, Havat Yair, Tel Menashe and Maoz Tzvi in the Samaria Regional Council; and Givonit, Ir Hatamarim and Gadi in the Jordan Valley area.
Of the 13 towns, some are already built and were retroactively approved, while others were once neighborhoods of existing Jewish communities.
Sa-Nur, located in northern Samaria, was one of the towns evacuated as part of the 2005 disengagement from the Gaza Strip. Israel approved its re-establishment six months ago, but residents have yet to return.
The process of setting the permanent borders was overseen by Israel’s Settlement Administration, which operates under Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. He also holds a post within the Defense Ministry, where he is responsible for civilian affairs in Judea and Samaria.
“The decision on the new boundaries provides stability, enables planning and development and establishes the settlement blocs in the heart of the country,” Smotrich said on Monday.
“This is Zionism at its best, this is national responsibility, and this is the historical justice of the generation of children who are returning to build their country,” the Hebrew-language statement continued.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has led an unprecedented drive to expand control of Judea and Samaria, approving some 50,000 housing units and over 50 new Jewish communities since late 2022.
Nearly 70% of Israelis want Jerusalem to extend full legal sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, according to a poll conducted on Jan. 29.
Meanwhile, 58% of Israeli Jews believe that the civilian communities in Judea and Samaria contribute to national security, according to a poll the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) published on March 11.
