Israeli minister vows to expand Judaization of Negev, Galilee

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday vowed to expand the Judaization of the Negev and Galilee regions, declaring that his government would impose the West Bank settlement model across these mixed-population areas at three times the intensity.

Expansion plans for Negev and Galilee

Posting on the social media platform X in response to an Al Jazeera report, Smotrich stated: "What we did in Judea and Samaria will be done three times over in the Negev and the Galilee." He attached a previous statement in which he said, "In our next term, we will Judaize the Galilee as we did Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)," according to Anadolu Agency.

The Negev and Galilee represent the two primary regions within Israel where Palestinian Arab and Jewish populations overlap, hosting significant Arab communities alongside Jewish residents. Palestinians constitute approximately 53% of the population in northern Israel, while Jewish residents comprise the remainder; in the Negev, Jewish Israelis make up 70-75% of inhabitants while Arab Bedouins account for roughly 25-30%, according to demographic data.

On August 28, Smotrich announced a plan to bring 1 million Jewish settlers to the two regions, outlining what he termed a "settlement revolution" mirroring West Bank policies. The proposal includes establishing 20 new settlements in each region, creating dozens of farms, facilitating migration to strategic sites and removing planning barriers to construction, according to the minister's earlier statements.

West Bank demolitions and settlement growth

Smotrich's remarks followed a statement on Wednesday in which he said his government had expanded settlements and demolished Palestinian structures in the occupied West Bank. Israeli authorities removed dozens of structures near the settlements of Makkedah in the southern West Bank and Shira in the north, the finance minister said.

According to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Israeli forces carried out 71 demolition operations in the West Bank during August, affecting 155 structures including 47 inhabited homes, eight uninhabited houses, 33 livelihood sources and 61 agricultural buildings. The commission noted that authorities issued 44 additional demolition notices targeting Palestinian property in the same period.

International legal context

Since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government took office in late 2022, Israel has intensified measures to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank. Government officials, led by Smotrich, have openly stated that they approved dozens of new settlements and outposts across territory captured in 1967.

Israel has occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the 1967 Middle East war. The international community considers Israeli settlements established on occupied Palestinian territory illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this designation.