The Knesset approved on Wednesday a preliminary reading of the Regulation Law seeking to normalize the status of Judea and Samaria communities and protect them from future legal entanglements, after the Prime Minister convinced Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon to come out in support of the bill.

The law is intended to protect Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria which were built without any ulterior motive or with government backing, but against which there are claims of property ownership. According to the proposed bill, if nobody can prove ownership over such contested plots, they are to be listed under the name of the appointee over government property in Judea and Samaria.

On the other hand, if one can prove ownership, the land will be confiscated and transferred to the government appointee, and the man who proved ownership will be eligible to use the land or an alternative plot.

The confiscation will be in force until which time the State decides on the status of the area and the Jewish settlement within it. Further, until the end of proceedings, enforcement will be suspended with respect to structures in those communities.

The bill was approved 58-50.