Riyadh on the decision to register lands in Judea and Samaria: Israel has no rights to Palestinian territories

“The Israeli decision on the West Bank undermines efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region, preventing a two-state solution to the conflict. Israel has no rights to the Palestinian territories,” the kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

On February 15, the Israeli government approved a proposal by Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Defense Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defense Minister Israel Katz to begin recording land ownership in Judea and Samaria.

According to the government’s decision, this is the first decision to record land ownership since 1967. As part of this decision, the Office for Recording and Regulating the Status of Lands will have the authority to record land ownership in Judea and Samaria.

For much of the land in Judea and Samaria there was no clear owner, and lengthy due diligence was required before each project began.

Regularization of land status should speed up processes for obtaining building permits, but the compilation of the register itself is expected to take several years. Political circles say that this is a response to the actions of the Palestinian Authority to seize land in Area C, which is under full Israeli control.