The Foreign Ministry issued an urgent clarification Tuesday regarding the status of the Hebron Agreement, stating that contrary to publications and statements by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the political accord has not been canceled, and any claim otherwise does not reflect the official policy of the Israeli government.
According to the Foreign Ministry statement, the only decision made on the matter in recent months was a narrow, focused security cabinet resolution. The decision relates exclusively to planning and construction authority in the Jewish community in Hebron and at Jewish heritage sites in the city.
The Foreign Ministry said the move was taken after years of “complete lack of cooperation” by the Hebron municipality, which prevented any progress on these issues. The decision is meant to enable proper management and development at sites under the responsibility of the Jewish community, given the deadlock created with the local authority.
The Foreign Ministry emphasizes unequivocally that aside from this specific arrangement on planning and construction issues, no other changes have been made to the Hebron Agreement, and it continues to stand as the political basis for the area.
Earlier Tuesday, Smotrich revealed at a ceremony declaring the new settlement of Doran in the Hebron Hills that a process was completed last night in which all planning and construction authority granted to the Hebron municipality under the Hebron Agreement was withdrawn. According to him, the move was implemented following a cabinet decision approved several months ago, and after the Supreme Planning Council made the necessary decisions last night to complete it.
According to his office, the decision means that planning and construction authority in the Jewish community in Hebron and at holy sites, including the Cave of the Patriarchs, are no longer in the hands of the Hebron municipality, but transfer to the responsibility of the State of Israel.
The Hebron Agreement, signed in 1997, divided the city of Hebron into two areas—H1 under ‘Palestinian’ control and H2 under Israeli security control—and remains to this day a particularly sensitive political and diplomatic friction point. Recently, calls have increased from elements in the government to reexamine the arrangements in the city, leading to tensions with the international community monitoring the region’s stability.
The Foreign Ministry’s clarification represents an attempt to prevent an unnecessary diplomatic crisis with Israel’s allies, who view the Hebron Agreement as a cornerstone of stability in the Judea and Samaria region. The distinction between “canceling an agreement” and “a focused decision on construction authority” is critical, as it tries to preserve the political status quo while facing political pressure for changes on the ground.