Cabinet approves sweeping changes to land, planning and municipal authority in Judea and Samaria

The government also revoked a Jordanian-era prohibition on selling property to Jews.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israel’s political-security Cabinet approved a package of decisions Sunday that reshapes how land, planning, and municipal authority function for Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

The measures, led by Defense Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and drafted by the Settlement Administration in the Defense Ministry, focus on lifting regulatory hurdles, canceling legacy Jordanian statutes, and speeding development processes in the area.

One of the most significant changes addresses land records.

Unlike registries inside the Green Line, documentation in Judea and Samaria had remained restricted from public view, complicating transactions and opening the door to fraud. The cabinet ordered those registries to be made public to improve transparency and enable lawful purchases.

The government also revoked a Jordanian-era prohibition on selling property to Jews. Until now, Jewish buyers often had to route purchases through registered companies and obtain special approval from the Civil Administration.

The new policy removes the transaction permit requirement and lifts restrictions on sales to foreigners, placing purchases on a footing similar to procedures used in Israeli cities.

Approval by the deputy commander for land registration will be replaced by professional qualification standards, easing constraints in the real estate process.

Planning authority in Hebron will also shift. Building permits for Jewish areas near the Cave of the Patriarchs and other holy sites had faced delays linked to the Palestinian municipality.

Authority will now be transferred directly to Civil Administration planning bodies. The cabinet further granted the Hebron Directorate full municipal powers to manage local services and enforcement.

Rachel’s Tomb, located within Bethlehem’s municipal boundaries, will receive a dedicated administrative body to oversee sanitation, waste removal, landscaping, and maintenance, addressing long-standing service gaps.

In addition, the cabinet approved expanding state oversight in Areas A and B, targeting water violations, environmental hazards, and damage to archaeological sites.

The government will also reactivate a land-purchase committee that has been dormant for roughly two decades, enabling renewed state acquisition of land reserves intended for future settlement development.