Israel approves NIS 75 million for West Bank settlement security

Israel's government approved NIS 75 million for security in the West Bank in a government meeting on Sunday morning.

The new funds will be managed through the National Missions Ministry which is led by Minister Orit Struk from the Religious Zionist Party.

The money is intended to supply security equipment like security cameras, patrol vehicles, and sirens to settlements in the West Bank, which Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's office said were sorely needed and didn't have.

"These are places where in most of them, all the men are on the frontlines," they said. "And they don't have the bare minimum."

They added that Smotrich was expecting another NIS 180 m. to be transferred from the Interior Ministry for the same purpose.

"Cameras, lighting, field cameras, drones, generators, rescue equipment, and more isn't a privilege," said Smotrich. "The campaign against defense of settlers in new settlements, who are currently on the frontlines in incredible numbers, is a cruel and sad campaign. These are heroic settlers who deserve the bare minimum of security at home and so much more."

Government delivering on its promises

Struk shared the announcement, saying that the government was delivering on its promises.

"The National Ministry will invest NIS 75 m. in security for new settlements," she said. "It's a great privilege to give minimal security to our generation's pioneers who are deep in the field and don't deserve to be fourth-rate citizens. This is just the beginning, but like all beginnings, it was hard."

She ended by thanking Smotrich.

The money approved on Sunday was not the full amount that Smotrich had aimed for, which had to be cut down after the Finance Ministry's legal counsel objected to the plan to transfer the funds due to a lack of sufficient justification for the funds.