Barring any last minute changes, the currently illegal town of Havat Gilad will become fully legalized next week during the cabinet meeting on Sunday morning. Following that, the town will be hooked up to water and electricity and recognized as a town in Samaria.

Minister of Defense, Avigdor Lieberman, has been spearheading the initiative. Following the murder of Rabbi Raziel Shevach HY”D, Lieberman said that he will bring a proposal to the cabinet in an effort to legalize Havat Gilad. However, not much progress was made in the past two weeks.

Sources within the government said that the reason why the issue hasn’t been finalized yet is primarily due to timing. With the Prime Minister away, first in India then in Davos and the visit of Vice President of the United States Mike Pence, there was simply no time for the vote.

Be that as it may, with the publication of the agenda of this week’s cabinet meeting by the government’s secretary, Ministers found out that the issue is among the topics to be discussed at the meeting. The government’s secretary went on further to state that it intends to bring the matter to a vote in this meeting.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)