Smotrich announces expansion of West Bank's Highway 465, pushes for new level of 'safety, security'

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has approved the significant expansion of Highway 465, a key route within the West Bank. This project is set to double the highway's capacity, improving connectivity between eastern and western settlements in the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council. Smotrich declared the expansion would create a "completely different level of safety, security, and quality of life" for the region's residents.

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This is great news for all residents of Binyamin. The doubling of this important road will create a completely different level of safety, security, and quality of life.

In a statement, Smotrich positioned the infrastructure development as a direct response to political opposition advocating for Palestinian statehood. "In the face of [Gadi] Eisenkot and Yair Golan who want to uproot settlements and establish a Palestinian State - we are deepening our roots, fortifying the settlement and strengthening our grip on the territories of our land," he asserted. The expansion will also provide access to the settlements of Neve Tzuf, Ateret, and the newly established Mes'ol.

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In the face of [Gadi] Eisenkot and Yair Golan who want to uproot settlements and establish a Palestinian State - we are deepening our roots, fortifying the settlement and strengthening our grip on the territories of our land.

Israel Ganz, head of the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, hailed the project as an "historic achievement." He emphasized its role in strengthening regional connections and supporting the growth of hundreds of thousands of residents in the Binyamin area. Ganz directed a message towards the Palestinian Authority, Hamas, and the planned city of Rawabi, stating that Israel's continued development demonstrates its commitment to the region and undermines the prospect of a Palestinian state through infrastructure and settlement expansion.

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significantly improve the quality of life of residents, strengthen the connection between East and West Binyamin, and constitute another step on the path to bringing hundreds of thousands of residents to the Binyamin region.