Renewed land settlement in Judea & Samaria — what the decision means for investors

In February 2026 the Israeli government approved reopening land registration and settlement in Judea & Samaria — for the first time since 1967. Three complementary moves:

• Renewed land settlement: the Land Registration and Settlement Authority at the Justice Ministry was mandated and budgeted to run systematic settlement. State land will be registered as such; private claimants can prove and register their rights in a transparent process.
• Open registries: unlike inside the Green Line, the region's land registries were confidential for years — hampering due diligence and enabling fraud. Confidentiality has been lifted.
• End of the "transaction permit": the historic requirement for a Civil Administration permit was abolished, bringing land purchase in the region close to purchase anywhere in Israel.

Why it matters

Together, the moves attack the market's central constraint — registration uncertainty. Systematic settlement ends disputes and creates proprietary certainty; an open registry enables real due diligence; abolishing the permit simplifies and cheapens transactions.

What it does not mean

This is the start of a multi-year process, not its end: security-legislation amendments are still pending, and a petition (HCJ 28845-09-25) remains before the High Court, which ruled in January 2026 that the issues were not yet ripe for decision. A prudent investor reads this as a clear positive trend — not an insurance policy.

The wider context

The decision joins the 58-locality tax-benefit law (June 2026), a ~₪7 billion road plan and strong demand data (+55.1% new-home sales, CBS). The cumulative picture: a consistent policy of regularization, investment and development.