Israel just made one of its biggest policy moves in Judea and Samaria in decades, and almost no one outside the bubble is paying attention.
The Cabinet’s decision to restart land registration in Area C is being described by its backers as a governance “revolution.”
Here is what actually changed, and why it matters.
Homes under construction in the Israeli community of Elkana in Samaria,
Oslo Areas A, B, C (1990s Accords)
Area A (18% of territory): Full PA civil/security control. Major Palestinian cities (Ramallah, Nablus). No Israeli presence.
Area B (22%): PA civil control (schools, services). Israeli security control (IDF patrols/operations).
Area C (60%): Full Israeli civil/security control. Israeli communities, military zones, large open areas. PA has no jurisdiction.
Only Area C affected by new decision.
YNET: Map of the plan to 'expand' the settlement of Adam — effectively an expansion of Jerusalem
What The Government Just Did
The Cabinet approved a decision to resume formal land registration in Judea and Samaria, specifically in Area C.
This is the “settlement of land title” process. It means:
Surveying land.
Calling on anyone claiming ownership to submit proof.
Registering plots either to private owners or, where appropriate, as state land.
This process existed under the British and Jordanians, and then froze after 1967. Only about 30% of land was ever properly registered before Israel took control. For 60 years, Israel did not complete the job.
Now, the state is restarting it and openly saying it intends to treat Area C like everywhere else it actually governs.
Why Supporters Call It “Long Overdue”
1. Ending Legal Chaos And Vacuum
Huge areas of land were never properly registered. Ownership was often based on old Jordanian records, Ottoman era documents, or local custom. That left room for conflicting claims and forged papers.
The new policy does three things:
Forces anyone claiming rights to put evidence on the table.
Registers uncontested state land back to the state.
Creates a transparent registry that protects legitimate Jewish and Arab owners alike.
Supporters are selling this as basic rule of law…giving everyone a clear record to rely on.
2. Pushing Back On PA Land Grabs
Area C is supposed to be under full Israeli control, including planning and construction…. the Palestinian Authority has treated it very differently.
Over the last decade, the PA has:
Built tens of thousands of structures in Area C without Israeli permits.
Registered more than a million dunams via their own institutions, including areas Israel classifies as state land.
Used agricultural takeovers, roads, and utilities funded by European and other donors to “lock in” control of open spaces.
Groups like Regavim have documented more than 97,000 illegal Palestinian structures in Area C, with growth at one point averaging several structures a day…. Even with stepped up enforcement in the past year.
From Jerusalem’s point of view, this is basically a PA annexation of Area C.
3. Security And Strategic Depth
Area C includes the high ground that overlooks Israel’s narrow coastal plain. Most of Israel’s population and critical infrastructure sit below those ridges.
Israeli security officials and a majority of Jewish Israelis see Jewish communities in those areas as:
A buffer against rocket and terror threats moving closer to the heartland.
Early warning and staging points in any major conflict.
The only way to prevent a hostile entity from dominating the heights directly above Tel Aviv, Ben Gurion Airport, and the Gush Dan area.
Formal land registration is the administrative step that allows:
Planned growth of existing communities.
Legal infrastructure, roads, and security projects.
Long term planning based on stable title.
Palestinian protestors in village of Beit Iksa, between Ramallah and Jerusalem
Repealing A Jordanian “No Jews Allowed” Law
The Cabinet also moved to strip out an old piece of Jordanian legislation still embedded in the legal regime.
Jordanian Law 40, from the 1950s–60s, barred the sale or lease of land to “non Arabs”...Jews. After 1967, Israel left much of the Jordanian framework in place in Judea and Samaria, so:
Jews often had to buy via intermediaries or navigate special, rarely granted permits.
Arabs faced no parallel restriction selling to Arabs.
The Palestinian Authority later criminalized land sales to Jews, up to and including capital punishment in related provisions.
Keeping any version of Law 40 on the books amounted to Israel enforcing a discriminatory, ethnically targeted rule inherited from what it calls Jordan’s illegal occupation between 1948–1967.
Foreign Reactions
UK Foreign Office: "Strongly condemns the Israeli Security Cabinet’s decision... major changes to land, enforcement, and administrative powers... harm peace... wholly unacceptable... inconsistent with international law. Reverse immediately."
Eight Arab countries issued a joint condemnation of Israel classifying Judea/Samaria areas as "state land."
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