Israel sets borders for three recently-legalized West Bank outposts
Two of the new settlements Avigail and Asael are located in the South Hebron Hills while the third, Beit Hogla is in the Megilot region by the Dead Sea.
The IDF on Wednesday night set the legal boundaries of three of the outposts that the government agreed to legalize as nine new settlements in February.
“Great things are happening with the settlements,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party) said.
This “government promotes a right-wing, Zionist, and nationalist policy, which views the development of the settlements in Judea and Samaria as an asset to the State of Israel,” he said.
Smotrich, who is also a minister in the Defense Ministry, announced the move to advance the development of the three communities.
Two of the new settlements, Avigail and Asael, are located in the South Hebron Hills, while the third, Beit Hogla, is in the Megilot Regional Council by the Dead Sea.
OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Yehuda Fox on Wednesday signed the order that set the boundaries of the three settlements.
Yesha Council and Gush Etzion Regional Council head Shlomo Ne’eman said the move was “a significant step.”
He announced the new jurisdiction just one day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The US has frowned on any Israeli settlement activity, particularly with respect to the legalization of West Bank outposts.
Last month, US State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said, “We strongly oppose the advancements of settlements and urge Israel to refrain from this activity, including the promotion of outposts. We take this issue very seriously,” especially since “it impinges on the viability of a two-state solution.”
Washington wants to finalize a security agreement with Riyadh that would include a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Concessions to the Palestinians
The deal would include gestures to the Palestinians. Among the suggestions has been a freeze in West Bank settlement activity, including the authorizations of outposts. Netanyahu’s government has been opposed to any such demand within the context of the Saudi deal or any other framework.
Settlement activity has been one of the issues that have created stress between Netanyahu’s government and Washington.
Smotrich's announcement comes as Netanyahu has sought to schedule what would be his first meeting with US President Joe Biden since taking office.
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