A plan put forth by Israeli Agriculture Minister and former general Ariel Sharon, and approved by the Government of Israel on 2 October 1977, for a major extension of Jewish settlement in the West Bank. It was partially based on the Allon Plan. The plan was made up of four components. The first was establishment of urban settlements on the western reaches of the Samaria Mountains (the so-called Western Seam Zone). The second was an extension of Jewish settlement in the Jordan Valley (Eastern Seam Zone), which began under the Allon Plan. The third was encircling East Jerusalem with a “belt” of Jewish settlements. The fourth was the building of roads linking the Western and Eastern Seam Zones, along with settlements to help secure them. Sharon presented four main objectives he wished to achieve with the plan: preventing the Palestinian civilian population from entering Israel; creating a buffer between West Bank Palestinians and Arab-populated Israeli territories north and west of it; controlling the high ground overlooking the Israeli coastal plain, where most of the country’s population and industrial capacity is located; and ensuring the security of Lydda International Airport.