Israel's security cabinet approves independence for 13 West Bank settlements

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Israel's security cabinet approves independence for 13 West Bank settlements

By Steven Scheer
March 23, 2025 5:58 AM EDT Updated 10 hours ago

JERUSALEM, March 23 (Reuters) - Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to separate 13 Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank from their neighbouring communities, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Sunday.

The settlements will ultimately be recognised as independent, he posted on X about the move, which follows the approval of tens of thousands of housing units across the West Bank.

"We continue to lead a revolution of normalisation and regulation in the settlements. Instead of hiding and apologising – we raise the flag, build and settle. This is another important step on the path to actual sovereignty in Judea and Samaria," Smotrich said, using Israel's term for the West Bank.

Israel's opposition to ceding control of the West Bank has been deepened by its fears of a repeat of the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas-led militants. Its military says it is conducting counter-terrorism operations in the West Bank and targeting suspected militants.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-security-cabinet-approves-independence-13-west-bank-settlements-2025-03-23/

Alternate link: https://www.yahoo.com/news/israels-security-cabinet-approves-independence-095850663.html

[AloeVera]

1. Disgusting and heartbreaking.

Revolution of normalization of the settlements?

No. It's normalization of land theft and ethnic cleansing.

[displacedvermoter]

2. Kinda like those illegal "republics" Putin created out of conquered Ukrainian land

though I assume the illegality of a land grab depends on your point of view, right?