Smotrich Unveils Plan for 40 New Communities in Negev and Galilee

Finance Minister and Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich presented a Negev and Galilee platform targeting one million additional Jewish residents through 40 new communities, 20 in each region. The plan calls for dozens of farms, expansion of existing communities, hundreds of thousands of housing solutions, employment zones and investment in transport, education, health and infrastructure. Religious Zionism would seek control of the Planning Administration and Israel Land Authority in the next government to accelerate planning and settlement policy. Its security chapter proposes treating illegal weapons possession as terrorism, minimum sentences and expanded Shin Bet involvement against organized crime.