Construction in Judea and Samaria has plunged to levels not seen since the Obama administration’s building freeze, despite Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s unprecedented approval of tens of thousands of housing units and removal of longtime development barriers.
Municipal authorities in Judea and Samaria are attempting to pressure settlements to begin new construction following massive permit approvals in recent years, but encounter significant resistance, Israel Hayom has learned. Several regional council heads stated, “We go to every settlement trying to convince them, but with only limited success.”
Israel Hayom obtained first-half 2025 data revealing modest population growth in Judea and Samaria councils and municipalities. While all recorded some growth, most settlements remain behind the national average growth rate, except for Jordan Valley Regional Council which recorded an impressive population surge. Considering all settlements have significant natural birth rate increases, the low growth numbers raise greater concerns.
The data reveals these figures from smallest to largest regional council: Har Hebron Regional Council grew by 265 residents, Gush Etzion Regional Council recorded growth of 746 residents, Samaria Regional Council grew by 875 residents, and Mateh Binyamin Regional Council – Israel’s largest council – recorded growth of 1,024 residents.
The Jewish community of Ma’aleh Adumim (Reuters / Ilan Rosenberg)
Jordan Valley Regional Council recorded particularly impressive growth of 756 new residents, more than 10% of its population. This figure becomes even more remarkable considering the distance from population centers in central Israel and regional weather challenges.
Megilot Regional Council, the smallest with 2,658 residents, recorded modest growth of 79 residents. Cities and local councils also recorded growth, but lower than expected. The cities grew by 2,823 residents – an increase of 1.25% , but considering two cities are ultra-Orthodox, much of the increase likely stems from births. Local councils (14 total) grew together by 921 residents – only 0.77%, far below the national average.
The reason for modest growth lies in several factors, but primarily in significant the slow pace of construction. In Gush Etzion, for example, demand far exceeds existing supply. While deteriorating security situations led to some decline in willingness to live in Judea and Samaria, popular settlements in the area face housing shortages against demand.
The problem currently involves not only present circumstances, but also future development. Recent years saw massive increases in building approvals in Judea and Samaria. Just last week, officials announced 3,000 housing units would be built in the E1 area on the eastern part of the Jerusalem outskirts, as well thousands of additional buildings in Ma’ale Adumim. Ariel also received approval for thousands of housing units.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on May 5, 2025 (Oren Ben Hakoon)
However, most small settlements refuse expansion and additional residents, creating a substantial construction bottleneck. Council heads travel from settlement to settlement attempting to convince committees to release the bottleneck and allow denser construction, but often without success.
Part of the resistance stems from desire to preserve community fabric and maintain small settlements. In other cases, resistance involves opposition to Palestinian construction and the significantly higher costs for Israeli or foreign workers, leading to actual stagnation.
Central Bureau of Statistics data on construction starts in Judea and Samaria shows last year was one of the worst years in the territory. This occurred despite Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich paving the way for significant construction in Judea and Samaria – approving tens of thousands of housing units and removing barriers that stood before settlement for many years.
In 2024, while most areas of the country recorded increases in construction starts compared to previous years despite the war, Judea and Samaria recorded sharp decline in construction starts. Only 1,096 housing units began construction across Judea and Samaria, compared to 2,234 the previous year.
The year 2024 was one of the most difficult years in Judea and Samaria since the Oslo Accords. Only in 2010, the freeze year imposed by then-US President Barack Obama, were fewer construction starts recorded – with 749 housing units beginning construction.
