Israel's Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, expressed his position in a meeting of his party regarding Gaza and the West Bank, asserting that these territories will be "taken away forever" from the Palestinians. Smotrich, a member of Religious Zionism, celebrated Donald Trump's return to the White House as a favorable moment for achieving Israeli sovereignty in those areas.
In his speech, Smotrich stated that they were close to applying sovereignty over the settlements in Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and that the time has come to do so. He also highlighted a supposed wide consensus in the government coalition and opposition against establishing a Palestinian state that could endanger Israel.
The minister referred to members of Hamas and other pro-Iranian militias as "Nazis," opposing the ceasefire in Gaza. Additionally, he noted that Trump’s victory provides an opportunity for his country and projected that 2025 will be the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.
In previous months, the Israeli army transferred significant legal powers in the occupied West Bank to settler officials led by Smotrich, in a move described as a ‘de facto’ annexation aimed at exercising direct control over Palestinian territories.
Smotrich has instructed the preparation of the necessary infrastructure to take the West Bank, after record levels of Palestinian land appropriation this year. Organizations like Peace Now have condemned these illegal actions and warn of the consequences of an annexation that, in their view, only benefits a messianic minority and perpetuates the conflict in the region.
For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian National Authority has condemned Smotrich's statements as a result of international failure to implement UN resolutions on the Palestinian issue, and has called for international sanctions against settlers and Israeli authorities.
