TEL AVIV, January 26, 2025 (WAFA) – The Israeli Knesset’s so-called Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved on Sunday a draft bill that would allow colonists to purchase land in the occupied West Bank. This move contradicts international law and is seen as a step toward implementing annexation plans and enabling the falsification of land purchase contracts.

The proposed bill, introduced by Knesset member Moshe Solomon of the Religious Zionist Party and endorsed by 40 members of the Knesset's Land of Israel Lobby, is set to be presented for a vote before the Knesset Plenum.

The proposed bill asserts that anyone can purchase real estate rights in the region, just as they would anywhere else.

The Ministerial Committee discussed this bill in mid-November, but instead of deciding to refer it to the Knesset for a vote, it opted to revisit the matter today.

According to the Israeli rights group, Peace Now, “The bill, titled “Elimination of the Discrimination in the Purchase of Real Estate in Judea and Samaria” which was previously proposed by MK Bezalel Smotrich, seeks to make it easier for settlers to purchase properties and land across almost the entire West Bank without supervision or restrictions, opening the door to questionable deals and forgeries.”

“The bill would give a small number of extremist settlers the ability to acquire land and later establish settlements, whether in the heart of Hebron or anywhere else,” added the group.

“The Knesset has no authority to legislate laws for areas that are not under Israeli sovereignty, and the attempt to apply Knesset laws to the occupied territory constitutes annexation and a blatant violation of international law,” said Peace Now.

T.R.