Israel Aims to Annex West Bank by 2025
Israel plans to implement its annexation of the occupied West Bank by next year. Hardline Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has instructed relevant officials to make preparations for this move.
According to an Al Jazeera report, Smotrich issued a statement on Monday, November 11, expressing hope that Washington's new administration will recognize Israel's "sovereignty" over the occupied West Bank.
In addition to his role as Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich holds a significant position within Israel’s Ministry of Defense and is responsible for overseeing the administration of the occupied West Bank and its settlements.
In a post on social media platform X, Smotrich stated, "2025 will be the year of sovereignty over Judea and Samaria" (referring to the entire West Bank by these terms).
After Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris in the presidential election, the far-right Jewish leader congratulated Trump. During a meeting in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on Monday, Smotrich instructed the Ministry of Defense’s Settlement Directorate and Civil Administration to lay the groundwork for the annexation of the West Bank to Israel.
He stated, “I have directed the necessary infrastructure preparations to assert Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.”
Smotrich, hoping for Trump’s support, added, “There is no doubt that President Trump, who demonstrated courage and resolve in his first term, will support Israel in this endeavor.”
He also noted that Israel’s ruling coalition has an agreement opposing the formation of a Palestinian state and supporting West Bank annexation.
“The only way to remove threats is to apply Israeli sovereignty over the settlements in Judea and Samaria,” he stated.
The Palestinian Authority strongly condemned Israel’s statements. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for President Mahmoud Abbas, described Smotrich’s comments as a clear violation of international law.
It’s worth noting that Israel was established in 1948 on occupied Palestinian land. Over the last seven decades, the Zionist state has seized 95 percent of Palestinian territory, with Gaza and the West Bank being the only areas left of what remains of Palestine. Israel has been conducting attacks on Gaza for more than a year and launched military operations in Lebanon last September.
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