Following the celebration of 50 years of modern Jewish life in Judea and Samaria, the IDF registered over 200 acres of Jewish land there, which is the first step in expanding construction in the area.
While the land was purchased 90 years ago, a lengthy survey process delayed the registration of about 210 acres of Jewish land in an area of Judea called the Etzion bloc. The Civil Administration finally officially registered the land to the Jewish National Fund (JNF) this week.
This move represents the culmination of a 70-year process of official acquisition, reported the Jerusalem Post. The area remains an important part of the Jewish people’s history as it is home to the original Kfar Etzion Kibbutz, which the Arab Legion decimated in Israel’s War of Independence.
The area is also the location at which the Arab Legion butchered 157 Jewish residents of Kfar Etzion, in spite of the fact that the population had already surrendered. After the Six Day War in 1967, the modern Kfar Etzion was created as the first settlement in the region.
JNF World Chairman Daniel Atar explained, “Now the kibbutz will be able to make zoning changes to existing plans and begin new construction,” the Jerusalem Post reported. With immigration to Israel on the rise and an ever-expanding population, the need for additional housing in the Holy Land is greater than ever.
By: United with Israel Staff