Havat Gilad
Havat GiladMiriam Alster/Flash 90

After a week's postponement, the proposal to recognize Havat Gilad as an official community will be brought to a vote at the cabinet meeting today.

Havat Gilad was founded 15 years ago, on land legally purchased and privately owned by Moshe Zar - in memory of his son Gilad who was murdered by terrorists - but did not obtain official Interior Ministry recognition as a Judea and Samaria community and therefore the government does not invest in it.

Havat Gilad resident Rabbi Raziel Shevach, 35, was murdered on January 9 in a terror attack near his hometown. He is survived by his wife and six children, the youngest of whom is ten months old.

"We vowed to build the land of Israel," says Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel (Jewish Home) ahead of the meeting. "After the terrible murder, I asked that the prime minister approve Havat Gilad in the most legal way, and that the people who live there be granted all the rights that the citizens of Israel deserve, as they serve in the IDF and fulfill all their obligations as citizens. The government is committed to begin building and engaging in other activities to strengthen the community, Samaria, the people of Israel and the Land of Israel. "

Gila Gamliel (Likud), the Minister for Social Equality, adds: "We are at a historic moment when a sympathetic American government sees eye to eye with us on the new reality emerging in the region. After 50 years of settlement and a half million residents, the time has come to say loudly: ‘We are here to stay!’ A strong Israel is the solution to regional peace and stability."

"The appropriate Zionist response, without any connection to the attacks, is to strengthen Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel over all its territory. I support the prime minister and defense minister who lead this important move," she said.

Alongside the support for the declaratory move, there are those who wonder whether it is not lacking details on the pace of implementation vis-a-vis the authorities and the details of funding as a result of recognizing the community officially. Arguments in this spirit that came up last week from both the Right and Left reinforced the claim that the declaration might not be implemented in practice.