Israel responds to European support for Palestinian state by approving new settlement in Judea

Nahal Heletz, one of five new towns planned in Judea and Samaria, will create continuity of Israeli control from Jerusalem through to the Gush Etzion area.

By World Israel News Staff

Israeli defense authorities gave approval for the establishment of a new Jewish town south of Jerusalem in Judea Wednesday.

The Israeli defense ministry’s Civil Administration, the governing authority in the roughly 60% of Judea and Samaria under full Israeli control, finalized the municipal boundaries for the new town of Nahal Heletz, which will be built as part of the Gush Etzion bloc south of the capital.

Once completed, Nahal Heletz and another new planned town, Sde Boaz, will create territorial continuity of Israeli townships between Jerusalem and the existing Gush Etzion bloc.

The Israeli government voted to green light the establishment of five new recognized towns in Judea and Samaria in late June, in response to European states recognizing unilateral Palestinian statehood.

In addition to Nahal Heletz, towns selected for recognition include Evyatar, Givat Assaf, and Sadeh Efraim in Samaria, and Adoraim in Judea.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party), who also serves as Minister in the Defense Ministry, with authority over settlement affairs inside the ministry, celebrated the finalizing of municipal boundaries for Nahal Heletz as a “historic moment” for the settlement movement.

“About two months ago the security cabinet approved my proposal for the establishment of five new towns in Judea and Samaria,” Smotrich tweeted Wednesday.

“Through combined work of the Ministry of Defense and the Civil Administration, they have put in much effort to implement the decision and, among others, promoted the outline of Nahal Heletz, that will be part of the continued momentum and construction of Jewish towns and villages.”

“No anti-Israel and anti-Zionist decision will stop the further development of Jewish construction. We will continue to fight the dangerous idea of ​​a Palestinian state and establish facts on the ground.”