Israel’s incoming government on Wednesday published a list of policy guidelines that includes a vow to promote settlement throughout the country.
“The Jewish people has an exclusive and inalienable right to all parts of the Land of Israel. The government will promote and develop the settlement of all parts of the Land of Israel—in the Galilee, the Negev, the Golan Heights and Judea and Samaria,” a clause in the document states.
It also reinforces a commitment to strengthening the status of Jerusalem, which by law is Israel’s unified capital.
The guidelines outline the incoming government’s desire to “preserve the Jewish character of the state and the heritage of Israel,” while “respecting the practices and traditions of members of all religions in the country in accordance with the values of the Declaration of Independence.”
The government also intends to maintain the status quo on issues of religion and state that has been in effect for decades, including with regard to the holy places.
Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is slated to be sworn in on Thursday.
