(JTA) — Israel’s security cabinet gave the go-ahead for the building of the first new settlement in two decades.
In a unanimous vote Thursday, the security cabinet approved the building of a settlement for Jewish residents of Amona, a West Bank outpost of 40 homes that was evacuated in February, according to i24 News. It must now be approved by the full Cabinet.
The announcement comes after President Donald Trump said in February that he would like to see Israel “hold back on settlements a little bit.” Earlier in February, Trump had said settlement expansion “may not be helpful” in achieving peace.
Israeli negotiators said last week that they would take into account the Trump administration’s “concerns” about settlement building.
Earlier Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would approve the establishment of a new settlement to make good on a promise he had made to the Amona settlers.
“I promised at the outset that we would build a new community,” Netanyahu told reporters. “I believe that I first gave that promise back in December, and we will uphold it today. In a few hours, you will know all the details.”
Israel has not established a completely new settlement since the early 1990s, though existing settlements have expanded and once illegal outposts have been retroactively recognized.
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