Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to return from his visit to the United States with sovereignty for the West Bank.
Speaking at a ceremony in the Binyamin region marking the official transfer of Civil Administration service units from an IDF base to a permanent civilian complex, Smotrich said the move separates civilian services from the military and is part of a broader effort to normalize governance for Israeli residents of the West Bank.
Addressing Netanyahu’s trip to Washington for meetings with US President Donald Trump, Smotrich said Israel must convert “de facto sovereignty” into a formal decision to apply Israeli law in the West Bank.
He cited settlement construction, authorization processes, and administrative work as part of recent advances, adding that without a cabinet decision to apply sovereignty, Israel risks missing a “historic opportunity.”
Smotrich said the government is preparing for expanded civilian service delivery and instructed the Government Housing Administration to locate a southern facility, adding that “the day is not far off” when the new building would also serve future Israeli communities in Gaza.
He framed the relocation as an administrative step that “takes the army out of civilian life.”
‘We are building sovereignty, floor by floor’
Binyamin Regional Council head and Yesha Council chairman Israel Ganz called the day “historic,” describing the move as a first step in separating counterterrorism from civilian governance. “We are not only talking about sovereignty, we are building it, floor by floor,” Gantz said, adding that the Sha’ar Binyamin complex would serve as a “gateway to the future” for construction, settlement, and civilian responsibility.
Smotrich has repeatedly pressed Netanyahu to advance sovereignty measures, including administrative changes affecting Israeli communities in the West Bank.
The ceremony was attended by Smotrich, Israel Gantz, Civil Administration head Brig.-Gen. Hisham Ibrahim, and Settlement Directorate head Yehuda Eliyahu.
“We are making history,” Smotrich said, reiterating that residents seeking services should “arrive at a government office, not a military base.”