Netanyahu: “Jewish Settlement” at Heart of New Expansion in the South

The Israeli government approved on Sunday the establishment of five new community towns in the eastern Be’er Sheva metropolitan area, marking a major step in a national effort to strengthen the Negev and deepen Israel’s long-term presence in the south.

The decision, advanced by Housing and Construction Minister Chaim Katz and Settlement Minister Orit Strook, is part of a broader government policy led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reinforce strategic regions of the country through civilian settlement, housing development, and coordinated national planning.

During the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu announced that one of the five new communities will be named Rennanim, after the final Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili. 

According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the move is part of a wide-ranging national initiative aimed at strengthening the Negev (south), reinforcing Israel’s strategic spaces, and deepening sovereignty and national presence in the country’s southern and western regions. The effort is currently coordinating multiple national projects, advancing in parallel across government ministries.

For Israel, the Negev is not just a large stretch of land but a key part of the country’s long-term future. The government says the policy is meant to turn long-standing national plans into concrete action by expanding housing, encouraging more Israelis to live outside the crowded center of the country, and creating a continuous line of communities between Be’er Sheva and Dimona. Officials describe the move as central to Israel’s long-term demographic growth and civilian resilience, with an emphasis on attracting families and others looking to build their lives in the Negev.

Implementation will include detailed planning, infrastructure development, the establishment of a regional employment and services center, and a gradual population process. These steps are framed as part of a comprehensive national approach aimed at strengthening the civilian, economic, and security resilience of southern Israel.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said the decision reflects the continuation of a policy he outlined during a visit to the Negev two weeks earlier. “During my visit to the Negev about two weeks ago, I declared that we would advance the Negev along several tracks, one of them Jewish settlement,” he said. “This government is doing a great deal on this front. There is tremendous momentum, both in action and in pride, and it continues today with this important decision.”

Housing and Construction Minister Haim Katz described the decision as a national and strategic mission focused on settlement along Route 25. “Settlement along Route 25 is a national and strategic mission,” Katz said, adding that after extensive preparatory work and completed planning procedures, the government is now able to translate policy into “action on the ground.” He said the initiative is aimed at expanding the housing supply, strengthening the Negev, and creating a continuous settlement corridor between Be’er Sheva and Dimona as part of the region’s long-term development.

Settlement Minister Orit Strook framed the decision as a correction of years of slow progress in the northern Negev. “The settlement revolution is reaching the Negev as well,” Strook said, saying that the establishment of new communities is a strategic objective that for years “progressed too slowly, with troubling results, a neglected and dangerous southern region.” “Together, we are building a defensive wall of settlement in the Negev as well,” Strook said.