Israeli Ministers Advance West Bank Annexation Following Western Recognition of Palestine
Two Israeli far-right ministers on Sunday urged the annexation of the Israeli-occupied West Bank after Western powers formally recognized the Palestinian state, according to AFP.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said that this move requires immediate countermeasures such as the “swift application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria and the complete dismantling of the Palestinian Authority.”
Ben Gvir also revealed his intention of submitting a proposal for annexing the West Bank at the upcoming cabinet meeting.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, noted that the only response to Western’s recognition of Palestinian State is “sovereignty over the historic homeland of the Jewish people in Judea and Samaria, and permanently removing the folly of a Palestinian state from the agenda.”
In August, Smotrich announced that Israel would “bury” the idea of a Palestinian state by dividing the West Bank and cut if off from East Jerusalem.
During his visit to Maale Adumim, Smotrich revealed that both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the E1 scheme, a long-delayed settlement.
“Whoever in the world is trying to recognize a Palestinian state today will receive our answer on the ground. Not with documents nor with decisions or statements, but with facts. Facts of houses, facts of neighborhoods,” Smotrich said.
Building Jewish State
In May, Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel planned to build a “Jewish Israeli state” in the occupied West Bank, according to Al-Arabiya.
Katz’s remarks followed Israel’s announcement of the creation of 22 new settlements in the West Bank.
“This is a decisive response to the terrorist organizations that are trying to harm and weaken our hold on this land,” Katz said.
Katz also noted that the new settlements would be a clear message to French President Emmanuel Macron and his associates: they will recognize a Palestinian state on paper – but Israel will build the Jewish Israeli state here on the ground.
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