The Israeli government will begin regularizing the status of dozens of communities in Judea and Samaria during the coming week, according to a report in Israel Hayom.
Otzma Yehudit's Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Minister of the Negev, Galilee, & National Resilience, is expected to present three issues to the cabinet next Sunday, all of which are central to regularization: promotion of a development plan including connection to infrastructure; upgrades to infrastructure and plans to erect public buildings; and establishing a department within his ministry focused on the so-called "young settlements."
According to the coalition agreement signed between Otzma Yehudit and Likud, the government is required to regularize the status of the young settlements in relatively short order. The agreement states that a team of ministers headed by the Prime Minister will be chosen within 30 days of the government's formation and that within 60 days, a decision will be made regarding the legalization of older communities.
Within 18 months of the government's formation, all the basic infrastructure of the young settlements is to be placed on a firm footing, including stable connections to water and electricity, erection of essential public buildings, and provision of other vital infrastructure. The agreement also states that the government will fund the planning, installation, renewal, and upgrading of the infrastructure and security-related features, and will budget approximately 180 million shekels toward this purpose.
While the steps that will be taken Sunday are only technical, they demonstrate a clear intention, and in coming months, the Ministry of the Negev, Galilee, & National Resilience is expected to begin to work actively to formalize the status of the new communities.