Watch the first session in the Sovereignty Movement’s Zoom Out series. Attorney Sperber analyzes the sovereignty-related changes taking place on the ground and outlines sovereignty goals for the future.
Attorney Michael Sperber, resident of Efrat, an expert on land status in Judea and Samaria, commentator on Channel 14, is the first guest in the Sovereignty Movement’s new Zoom lecture series. Presented here are his remarks, along with an invitation to join upcoming sessions, listen, ask questions, and help deepen the discussion around the vision of sovereignty.
Attorney Sperber addressed the feasibility of sovereignty and opened by describing four significant layers of activity by the current government in Judea and Samaria—steps he views as historic and as fundamentally reshaping reality and public consciousness.
The first step is the extensive cultivation and establishment of communities throughout the area, including the reestablishment of communities that were uprooted in the framework of the Disengagement like Chomesh and Sa-Nur. Sperber emphasizes the major significance of the structural change led by Minister Bezalel Smotrich in his role in the Ministry of Defense. In this capacity, he transferred most units of the Civil Administration from the military framework—essentially a remnant of the post–Six-Day War period—into a civilian framework. This shift is reflected across a wide range of issues, especially in land acquisition in Judea and Samaria. “This is a dramatic revolution,” he states, noting how land purchases, once complex and cumbersome, have become far simpler under these changes.
Another step highlighted by Sperber is increased enforcement against illegal construction by Palestinian Authority Arabs. He describes this construction as systematic and organized, part of the Fayyad Plan aimed at establishing a de facto Palestinian state. This internationally funded plan seeks to pressure and effectively encircle Jewish communities through construction and agriculture adjacent to fences, creating constant friction with security forces and residents. Sperber cites estimates that around 80,000 illegal Arab structures have been built in Judea and Samaria, most of them in Area C—far beyond natural population growth needs. While this issue was largely unaddressed for years, he says that under Minister Smotrich’s new office there is now significant and increased enforcement.
Sperber also points to the military-security policy implemented by the IDF in coordination with other security agencies, under the direction of the political leadership. This approach is described as active and effective, involving far more arrests and prosecutions, along with both covert and overt special forces that have created a tangible level of deterrence and relative security calm.
Another dimension of change is in infrastructure, as seen in the expansion of Route 60, as well as east–west roads across Judea and Samaria. These developments, together with additional plans to strengthen employment, industry, and commerce in the region, significantly normalize daily life in these areas.
Changes in government policy are also reflected in Israel’s approach to the Palestinian Authority. In his role as Minister of Finance, Smotrich has implemented measures to freeze and offset funds that the PA transfers to terrorists and their families. According to Sperber, the implication is increased Israeli control over the Palestinian Authority.
He further notes a shift in Israeli public discourse since October 7, with the overwhelming majority of Israeli society no longer speaking of a Palestinian state as a solution. Instead, this reflects a view by Israelis of Israel’s eastern border as the Jordan River. The discourse around sovereignty is becoming part of the Israeli mainstream, with growing public support.
Sperber sees these developments as evidence that, in practice, the State of Israel has decided to control the entire area—even without a formal, structured decision to that effect. The extensive construction underway and planned for the near future, with the transfer of authority from military to civilian systems, constitute a substantive statement on the ground. He believes that the remaining issue is determining a comprehensive resolution to the conflict—something that, in his view, can be addressed after the conclusion of a war with Iran, whose ramifications would reach the core of Israel.
In his remarks, Sperber also elaborates on broader transformations across the Middle East, including shifts in the internal Arab balance of power between Sunni and Shiite forces. The outcome of these developments, he suggests, may solidify Israel’s status as a regional power alongside the United States, weakening its enemies and the ideologies that drive them. In this context, he mentions the emigration of young Arabs from Judea and Samaria to countries around the world, and suggests that encouraging such emigration is increasingly becoming a legitimate topic in international discourse, particularly in light of statements by the U.S. president regarding Gaza’s Arab population. This emerging legitimacy, he argues, allows the idea of emigration to be placed on the table in discussions with Arab and Western countries, framed in humanitarian terms consistent with international law. “Solutions that once seemed distant are becoming increasingly practical.”
In his view, formally applying Israeli sovereignty to the area is also becoming easier to implement following U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. A diplomatic precedent established in one region becomes relevant and worthy of discussion in others. “The groundwork for sovereignty is already in place,” he concludes, pointing to the close military cooperation between Israel and the United States—which he describes as almost miraculous—as a key foundation for advancing sovereignty.