Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich took aim Tuesday morning at the left-wing organization Peace Now after reviewing a report it published last week criticizing the government's policies in Judea and Samaria.
Smotrich shared a photo on social media showing himself smiling while holding the report, titled "The Three Good Years - Government Actions to Annex the West Bank." "A moment of peace in the morning," he wrote alongside the image.
The report, produced by Peace Now together with the Kerem Navot organization, argues that the government has accelerated what it describes as the annexation of Judea and Samaria. It presents data covering government activity between 2023 and 2025, including the establishment of 185 new outposts, among them around 130 farms and hilltop communities, and the advancement of plans for 40,064 housing units.
According to the report, 27,941 housing units were advanced in 2025 alone, more than double the previous annual record. It also claims that preparations are underway for 102 new communities and outposts.
The organizations further state that Israel declared 25,959 dunams as state land during the period-nearly half the total area designated as such since the Oslo Accords began. The report also points to the paving of at least 223 kilometers of new roads, the expansion of agricultural activity across more than 11,500 dunams, and the transfer of significant civilian powers from the Civil Administration to Smotrich and the Settlement Administration within the Defense Ministry.
Among the additional developments highlighted are the renewal of settlement activity in northern Samaria following the repeal of restrictions on Israelis entering areas evacuated under the Disengagement Plan, as well as the advancement of infrastructure, transportation, and heritage projects.
The report also alleges that 118 Palestinian Arab communities and shepherding encampments were displaced during the period covered, describing the government's actions as part of a coordinated policy to strengthen Israeli control over Judea and Samaria.