Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, referenced Donald Trump’s election victory in the U.S., declaring that the time has come for “Israel’s full sovereignty over the West Bank.”
He suggested that a Trump administration would likely support the annexation of West Bank settlements into Israel.
Smotrich, who oversees settlements in the West Bank, stated that he has instructed his office to prepare measures to apply Israeli sovereignty over the occupied region.
The West Bank is considered part of a future Palestinian state but is currently under Israeli occupation. Western and Muslim countries have repeatedly condemned Israel’s expansion of settlements in the West Bank, calling it illegal.
The Israeli finance minister claimed that Trump’s victory “brings a significant opportunity for Israel.”
Smotrich argued that “the only way to eliminate the threat of an independent Palestinian state is to impose Israeli sovereignty over the entire West Bank.”
However, Israel’s new Foreign Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, clarified on Monday that Netanyahu’s government has not yet decided on the annexation of West Bank settlements.
Sa’ar recalled that discussions about West Bank annexation were held during Trump’s first term.
Smotrich added that during his first term, Trump took “significant steps to legitimize settlement construction in the West Bank.”
These statements highlight escalating tensions between Israel and Palestine, with the possibility of West Bank annexation fueling unrest and opposition in the region.
As Israeli and Palestinian relations remain strained, potential annexation could broaden regional conflict, especially with increasing hostility between Israel and Iran.
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