Bennett Plan: Include Israeli Homes in ‘Yesha’ in ‘Tabu’

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett is preparing a plan that would see registration of homes and property in Area C of Yehudah and Shomron (Yesha) transferred from the Civil Administration to the Israel Land Registry, with the same procedures for registry applying in Area C that apply in pre-1967 Israel. The plan is being developed and evaluated by legal experts, Yisrael Hayom reported, and Bennett plans to implement it in the near future.

The Civil Administration is currently responsible for all civilian procedures in Yehudah and Shomron. It is a division of the Defense Ministry, and effectively governs all activities as part of the military government in the region. In order for Israeli law to apply, the procedure must be certified and approved by the Civil Administration. With the transfer of registration to the ILA, home and land owners will register their property in the “tabu,” the national registry database, and any Knesset legislation that affects homeowners will automatically apply in Yehudah and Shomron.

Yisrael Hayom quoted officials in the Defense Ministry as saying that the move would increase Israel’s claim of sovereignty over Area C, essentially turning it into a part of Israel “proper” for legal issues surrounding land and home ownership.

For years, many residents of Yehudah and Shomron have complained of a lack of responsiveness from the Civil Administration on issues such as obtaining building permits, adjudicating land ownership disputes, and more. The officials said that those issues would disappear when homes and land are registered in the “tabu,” since disputes and requests relating to homes and land would be handled by ILA officials and civil courts.