Naftali Bennett
Naftali BennettYonatan Sindel/Flash90

Chairman of the Jewish Home party Naftali Bennett related this morning at the start of the cabinet meeting to the policy agreements reached with the US administration regarding building in Judea and Samaria.

“On Thursday night, the Cabinet accepted the policy presented by the Prime Minister, a balanced policy for continued building in Judea and Samaria, without demographic restrictions, but with certain limitations,” Bennett noted.

According to Bennett, “On the surface, it appears to be a worthy arrangement. The test will be in implementation. I told the Prime Minister that it sounds fine, but he will be tested in the implementation.”

At Thursday’s cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister had updated ministers that Israel would be adopting a new policy for building in Judea and Samaria.

He said that, taking into account Trump’s positions, Israel would be taking steps to significantly limit the expansion of communities in Judea and Samaria beyond existing town borders, but it would continue to build - a great improvement over the 8 years of former president Obama's freeze on all construction.

He added that Israel would show significant restraint in building “in order to allow for progress in the peace process."

According to the new policy, Israel will build inside existing town borders wherever possible. Where this is not possible, Israel will build near the border.

In places where these two criteria are not possible for legal, security, or topographical reasons, building will take place as close as possible to the existing border.

Netanyahu also clarified to the ministers that Israel would not allow the establishment of new unorganized outposts.