Israel Approves Historic Registration of West Bank Land as State Property for First Time Since 1967
JERUSALEM – The Israeli government has approved a sweeping measure to begin the official registration of vast areas of land in the occupied West Bank as state property, marking the first time such a process has been authorized since Israel captured the territory in the Six-Day War of 1967. The decision, reported by the public broadcaster Kan, signals a dramatic shift in the legal administration of the West Bank, moving from temporary military seizure to permanent civil registration.
Deep Dive: The New Registration Plan
The initiative, spearheaded by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, and Defense Minister Israel Katz, targets approximately 15% of Area C—the 60% of the West Bank under full Israeli control—for full registration in the Israeli land registry by 2030.
Unlike previous designations of “state land” which were often declaratory, this move involves the “settlement of title,” a formal legal process to register ownership rights in the Tabu (Land Registry). The plan includes several critical legal changes:
Repeal of Jordanian Law: The cabinet decision effectively cancels a restrictive Jordanian law that prohibited non-Muslims (and by extension, Israeli Jews) from directly purchasing land in the West Bank. Previously, such transactions were often conducted through complex corporate structures to bypass this restriction.
Public Registries: The West Bank land registry records, which have been classified and closed to the public for decades, will now be declassified and opened. This transparency is intended to facilitate real estate transactions and allow Israeli developers to identify potential plots for acquisition.
Sovereignty Implementation: Minister Smotrich described the move as “strengthening Israel’s hold on the territory from the bottom up,” stating that for the first time, the State of Israel is assuming the role of a permanent sovereign rather than a temporary administrator.
Background: A Legal Shift Decades in the Making
Following the 1967 war, Israel suspended the formal land registration process (known as “settlement of title”) that had been initiated by the British Mandate and continued by Jordan. For nearly 60 years, legal ownership in much of the West Bank remained in limbo or relied on Ottoman-era tax records and deeds. Israel has traditionally used a mechanism based on an 1858 Ottoman Land Code to declare uncultivated areas as “state land,” but stopped short of fully integrating these lands into Israel’s civil registry to avoid accusations of formal annexation.
Area C, where the new registration drive will focus, is home to all Israeli settlements and is the zone where the Palestinian Authority has no jurisdiction. The Oslo Accords designated this area for gradual transfer to Palestinian control, a process that stalled indefinitely decades ago.
Objections and International Outcry
The move has triggered immediate and fierce condemnation from Palestinian leadership, human rights organizations, and international legal experts.
Palestinian Authority: Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for the Palestinian presidency, called the decision a “dangerous escalation” and an “open war on the Palestinian presence.” The PA views this as a definitive step toward the total annexation of the West Bank, rendering a future Palestinian state geographically impossible.
Legal & Human Rights Concerns: Michael Sfard, an expert in international human rights law, characterized the decision as “de facto annexation.” He argued that under the laws of occupation (specifically the Hague Regulations and Fourth Geneva Convention), an occupying power is prohibited from making permanent changes to the legal system or property rights of the occupied territory. “This is a mega theft of Palestinian lands,” stated the Israeli anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now, warning that Palestinians will face insurmountable legal hurdles to prove ownership against the state’s resources.
Diplomatic Fallout: The European Union and the United Nations have repeatedly warned that changing the legal status of the West Bank violates international law. Critics argue that by treating West Bank land exactly like land in Tel Aviv or Haifa, the Israeli government is effectively erasing the “Green Line” without a formal declaration of sovereignty.
The implementation of the plan is expected to begin immediately, with regional offices set up to manage the complex registration process in coordination with the Civil Administration.
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