Israeli sovereignty and encouraging emigration of Arabs from Judea, Samaria, and Gaza were central to the discussions at the Sovereignty Conference held in Jerusalem.
The Sovereignty Movement participated (February 24-25, 2025) in the Sovereignty Conference in Jerusalem, organized by the Yesha Council in collaboration with the newspaper B'Sheva and Channel 7.
The Sovereignty movement sums up the event with excitement and a sense of elevation. "It was moving and uplifting to see a conference where ministers, Knesset members, and public figures plan to turn the vision of the Jewish people for full sovereignty in its land into a reality."
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has been active in promoting sovereignty since entering political life, defined sovereignty as normalcy in the life of the nation, and therefore, the application of sovereignty is the responsibility of Israel's leadership.
Yisrael Ganz, Head of the Benjamin Regional Council and the Yesha Council, emphasized in his remarks that the application of sovereignty is not dependent on the U.S. administration, but on decisions made in Jerusalem.
Senator Ted Cruz sent blessings in a prerecorded video; “Let me be very clear, I believe that Israel has an absolute right to determine what happens in Judea and Samaria. This right is described in the Bible and it extends through modern times. Have confidence that the American people stand with you and under President Trump and our new Republican Congress, the American government stands with you as well.”
Heads of councils in Judea and Samaria also joined the call for the application of sovereignty, a move that would normalize the lives of residents and the functioning of the authorities they lead, just as in any other place in Israel. The functioning of the authorities and residents would be directly with government ministries, not with military officers and without "deals."
Heads of the Sovereignty Movement, Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar, appeared at the conference, with a special presentation prepared by the movement in the background, showcasing leading public figures, ministers, and Knesset members calling for the application of sovereignty and expressing their personal and public commitment to advancing the vision until its realization.
Katsover and Matar called on decision-makers in Israel to stop working according to the outdated master national outline plan TAMA 35, which excludes Judea and Samaria. "The failure to apply sovereignty sends the world the message that Israel is not confident that Judea and Samaria are ours forever. As long as there is no sovereignty, the world will continue to call us 'occupiers.' The application of sovereignty over Judea and Samaria will finally be an official declaration that the land belongs to us forever and will cut off the Arab enemy's hope for the establishment of a Palestinian state in the heart of our country," they said.
The movement views the presence at the conference of around seventy members of the SovereigntyYouth as a highlight of the event. "This is the next generation of leaders in Israel," they said, highlighting the youth's call in a panel with their representatives to other young people across the country to join the pioneering efforts of our generation—the advancement and implementation of sovereignty over the Land of Israel.
It should be noted that, as in past conferences, the question of the status of Arabs in Judea and Samaria after sovereignty will be applied also arose in this one, with a clear consensus among the vast majority of speakers. Here are some of their remarks on the issue:
Eliyahu Gafni, Head of the Emanuel Local Council: "I give them the opportunity to vote with their feet in one direction."
Eran Rolls, Chairman and Owner of the Israeli Construction Center: "When we talk about sovereignty and when the heads of local authorities are here, I have many discussions with local authority leaders, and I think there is a historic opportunity to rid ourselves of half a million Palestinians, willingly! Don’t let them enter to work in your communities! Don’t let them! There are millions of voluntary migrant workers worldwide. When they will have no livelihood here, and I am not afraid of all the generals who sit on TV programs saying terrorism will increase, I think if they have no work here, they will pack their things and go work in Europe, America, Australia, or the Emirates. They will be excellent workers there and will not sabotage like they do in our homes. When they leave, they will take their nephew, their wife. There are 120,000 Palestinians working in construction in Israel. We must not allow them to return to work, neither in Judea and Samaria nor anywhere in Israel!"
Omer Rahamim, CEO of the Yesha Council: "We need to say this as clearly and sharply as possible: it is time to also encourage emigration of Arabs in Judea and Samaria, just as we are doing in Gaza. If it works here, it will work there. It is time to say this and not be afraid. It is right, it is just, and in this sense, no other solution will truly bring an end to the conflict. The end of the conflict is to implement the Trump plan in Judea and Samaria as well."
The Sovereignty Movement congratulates the organizers of the Sovereignty Conference, the Yesha Council, B'Sheva newspaper, and Channel 7, for leading this important conference and thanks all the many members of the Sovereignty Movement, the Sovereignty Forum, and Youth for Sovereignty who attended and made their voices heard at the conference, representing the voice of the people and the voice of sovereignty.
Watch some of the meaningful moments from the conference:
Yosef Ehrenfeld interviews Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar :
Panel 'Growing Leadership' with Youth for Sovereignty:
(even if you don’t understand Hebrew just watch the video to meet Israel’s future leaders)
Thank you to the members of Knesset past and present who call to apply sovereignty: