Israel’s military achievements since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion will ultimately be accompanied at the political level by the expansion of the nation’s borders in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich pledged on Thursday.
He spoke at the inauguration of a new community in Samaria attended by Israeli Cabinet ministers and lawmakers.
“There will be a political component that completes the outcome in Gaza that will expand our borders. There will be a political component that completes the outcome in Lebanon that will expand our borders to the Litani [River] within defensible boundaries. And there will be a political component in Syria, the Mount Hermon peak and at minimum the buffer zone. Yes, there is a military arm and a political arm, and both are expressions of courage, faith and love of the land,” the Yesha Council, the umbrella organizations of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, quoted Smotrich as saying.
The minister commended the government for establishing the new community, Ma’or Tzur, and 30 others in the Binyamin region of southern Samaria during his time in office.
“When you are here, you understand why this ultimately means security for [central cities adjacent to Samaria] Modi’in, Rosh HaAyin and Kfar Saba. We have a strong military arm with tremendous achievements, and there is also a decisive political phase, in Judea and Samaria, that completely defeats the land division idea that would establish a terror state in the heart of the country,” said Smotrich.
יישוב חדש הוקם בבנימין!
— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) April 10, 2026
מזל טוב ל-12 משפחות הגרעין, חלוצי ״מעוז צור״. pic.twitter.com/5DKSIKtVwp
Defense Minister Israel Katz extended his greetings at the ceremony via a recorded video, in which he called the occasion a “true day of celebration.”
“Every time I meet you, the residents of Judea and Samaria, I am reminded that community building is the clearest expression of the beauty of the Land of Israel. Here, the concept of building the land takes on a deeply tangible meaning,” he said.
Ma’or Tzur is located in a strategic overlooking position above Route 443, a main artery connecting Jerusalem to central Israel. The Yesha Council said that the town’s formation is part of a broader approach to strengthening communities as a key component of national security.
The community is fully established with infrastructure, roads, water, electricity, and the first families moving in, the council said.
Among the first 11 families to move in, eight belong to IDF reservists, with the wives moving in while their husbands serve on the front lines, it added.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, who attended the ceremony, was cited as saying, “Most of the world is not with us, but we came, a broad representation of the government and the Knesset, to say to the world: This is our land. We are not here as guests; we are not here temporarily. … And the message that will go out from here is that we are here to stay for generations.”
Binyamin Regional Council head Israel Ganz said that Israel’s “enemies are building terror, and we are building life. They are trying to strike, and we are strengthening our hold. … If we are not here, agents of Iran and terrorist organizations will be here. It is either us or them, and we are here to win.”
Others who attended the inauguration ceremony included Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman, Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen, Amana settlement movement chairman Ze’ev (Zambish) Hever, World Zionist Organization Settlement Division chairman Yishai Merling and Ambassador of Panama to Israel Ezra Cohen.
The Israeli Cabinet, in a closed meeting two weeks ago, reportedly approved the establishment of 34 new communities across Judea and Samaria.
