The Most Dangerous Step Since the 1967 War: Israel Redefines Jerusalem’s Boundaries
An urban development initiative reveals what has been described as a controversial Israeli strategy toward Jerusalem, in a move that could inflame tensions in the Palestinian territories.
According to a report published by Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israeli government has taken a new step toward expanding its de facto sovereignty over Jerusalem.
The move involves advancing a large-scale construction plan in the settlement of Adam in the Binyamin region.
The newspaper stated that “in recent years, the Israeli government has continued its efforts to impose its sovereignty over Jerusalem, blurring the boundaries of the Green Line.”
Although the plan is officially presented as an expansion of the settlement, in practical terms it would mean extending Jerusalem’s boundaries and annexing a new area into its municipal jurisdiction for the first time since the 1967 war.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the plan includes the construction of hundreds of housing units on land relatively distant from the Adam settlement, with no current direct access from the settlement, despite prior discussions about building a connecting bridge.
However, implementing construction in the area would create geographic continuity with Jerusalem and effectively expand the boundaries of the Neve Yaakov neighborhood, with the new housing designated for the Haredi community.
The access road to the project would originate within Neve Yaakov and return to it, meaning the area would be administered in practice as part of the Jerusalem municipality—something that has not occurred since 1967, according to the report.
Accelerated Procedures
Progress on the project has accelerated following significant changes introduced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich within Israel’s Civil Administration, including the establishment of a new “Settlement Administration.”
The report notes that approval procedures are now moving through an expedited track, potentially allowing implementation within a few years rather than after prolonged delays as in the past.
The project is part of a broader series of government decisions regarding the West Bank, most notably the resumption of land registration in the name of the state for the first time since 1967—a move widely criticized by Arab and Western countries as constituting “de facto annexation.”
Criticism and Warnings
The Israeli movement Peace Now strongly criticized the initiative, stating that “for the first time since 1967, under the pretext of establishing a new settlement, the government is carrying out annexation through the back door.”
According to the movement, the new area would effectively function as a “neighborhood affiliated with Jerusalem,” while presenting it as an extension of the Adam settlement serves merely as “a cover to conceal the imposition of Israeli sovereignty over parts of the West Bank.”
Knesset member Gilad Kariv of the Democratic Party submitted an urgent inquiry to Housing Minister Haim Katz, asking whether there are plans to annex the designated area to Jerusalem and whether residents of the neighborhood, officially classified as part of Adam, would receive services from the Jerusalem municipality.
Kariv warned that “this planned step will exacerbate tensions between Israelis and Palestinians and provoke unnecessary friction.”
He further stated that such plans “do not align with Israel’s international commitments, including those toward US President Donald Trump, and reflect Netanyahu’s complete surrender to his extremist partners.”
