The "Lone Farm Law," approved by the Israeli Knesset in mid-March 2025, addresses theoretically the issue of land preservation in the Negev and Galilee, as well as the prevention of agricultural terrorism. However, its practical objective is to promote land theft in Judea and Samaria, a process that, among other factors, involves Jewish terrorism.
While the law ostensibly promotes "agricultural" interests, its real foundation lies in "redemption aspirations."
A central strategy of settlers in Judea and Samaria has been the establishment of numerous "herder farms." By grazing sheep and cattle, these settlers systematically push Palestinian herder communities off their land. The Secretary General of the Amana Settlement Movement, Zeev (Zambish) Hever, stated in February 2021 that these farms are far more effective for land appropriation than traditional settlements, as they allow control over significantly larger areas. According to Hever, "one farm preserves thousands of dunams of land."
To achieve this goal, proponents of the law seek to entrench in public consciousness the importance of shepherds, who are portrayed as standing "at the forefront of practical Zionism," as well as the role of grazing land, which is framed as a critical tool in "preserving the land" – or, more accurately, a highly effective tool for expropriating it.
The consequences of this law may soon "leak" into Judea and Samaria, reinforcing a messianic ideology deeply embedded in the Habayit Hayehudi (The Jewish Home) party. In the vision of Bezalel Smotrich and the ideology of Gush Emunim [an activist movement committed to establishing Jewish settlements in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights] thinkers, the Holy Land is viewed as an integral component of the messianic era. Within this framework, the Jewish state itself is elevated to a sacred status – a political expression of divine purpose.
To accelerate redemption, Minister Smotrich has devised a "mega-dramatic" plan involving sweeping measures to "change the DNA of the system" in Judea and Samaria. As part of this initiative, he is working aggressively to legalize agricultural farms, or shepherds' farms, through both administrative and legislative means.
If we examine the statements made by Habayit Hayehudi ministers, without the spatial demarcation (of the Negev and Galilee) that serves as a "foot in the door" persuasion tactic (as Minister Orit Strook stated in Karnei Shomron [an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, east of Kfar Saba]: "What we have now is only a foot in the door, compared to the potential of this place. We in Gaza will ensure that this potential is fully realized."), the broader picture becomes clear.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared: "Settlement and the possession of farms is a Zionist mission of the highest order, and the lone farms are the spearhead in the struggle to preserve the state's lands. The vote on the "Lone Farm Law" is a significant step towards strengthening settlement throughout our country."
Minister of Settlement and National Missions Orit Strook stated: "The law provides a solution for preserving the land and strengthening Jewish settlement. From a value perspective, it repositions settlement and Zionism at the forefront of the state's priorities."
From the perspective of Habayit Hayehudi's leadership, the "values of settlement and Zionism" are primarily centered on securing control over Judea and Samaria – and, more recently, expanding these efforts into the Gaza Strip. Negev and Galilee serve merely as stepping-stones toward achieving this "noble" goal.
* Published, in an abbreviated version, on the "War Room" website, 13.3.2025.