Smotrich congratulated Trump for his victory stressing that his upcoming presidency will be an important asset for Israel to achieve its goals in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday that 2025 would be the year to fully annex the West Bank and eliminate “the danger” of a Palestinian state, stressing that the victory of the United States President-elect Donald Trump will be an asset to achieve this goal, Anadolu news agency reported.
“The year 2025 will, with God’s help, be the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria (West Bank),” Smotrich told the press ahead of a meeting for his Religious Zionism Party at the Israeli parliament (Knesset).
“The only way to remove the danger of a Palestinian terror state from the agenda is to apply Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlement in the entire Judea and Samaria,” he added, according to the Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel.
The far-right minister revealed that he has already instructed the Israeli Settlement Directorate in the Defense Ministry and the Civil Administration to prepare the groundwork for the move, stressing that there is wide consensus amongst all political spectrums in Israel against the establishment of a Palestinian state.
‘Now, it’s Time to Act’
Smotrich harshly criticized the current US administration of President Joe Biden, stating that it “regrettably chose to interfere in Israeli democracy and refused to cooperate with me personally as Israel’s finance minister”.
“We were on the verge of applying sovereignty over settlements in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) before the Biden administration,” he continued, adding that “now, it’s time to act.”
Smotrich congratulated Trump for his victory stressing that his upcoming presidency will be an important asset for Israel to achieve its goals in the occupied West Bank.
He noted that Trump’s first term in 2017-2021 made milestone achievements for Israel.
“Trump led significant moves, including relocating the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, acknowledging Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and legitimizing settlements in Judea and Samaria,” Somtrich stressed.
2025 – שנת הריבונות ביהודה ושומרון
— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) November 11, 2024
The infamous minister brushed off the significance of any anticipated objections to his annexation project of the occupied West Bank to Israel.
“Even if there are some who will protest, including from Arab states, we have already proven through the Abraham Accords that when Israel stands firm, it gains support and recognition from both the US and neighboring Arab countries,” Smotrich noted.
The Israeli minister posted on social media his controversial declaration, which comes in defiance of international law, writing on X, “2025 – The year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria”.
This is not the first time Israel’s finance minister uttered such declarations, on the contrary, he has been very vocal regarding his ambitions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
Last month, Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the full annexation of the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip asserting the need to establish illegal Israeli settlements in the heart of Palestinian territories and the expulsion of Palestinian nationalists, the Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reported.
⚡️🇫🇷🇮🇱BREAKING:
Dozens of human rights organizations and lawyers have submitted a request to the French Attorney General to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is scheduled to visit France in the coming days.
The request is based on… pic.twitter.com/fMIqKJ9rUl
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) November 11, 2024
Annexation Plans
Meanwhile, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) reported on Tuesday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently affirmed in private discussions the need to bring the West Bank annexation issue back onto his government’s agenda when US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.
KAN cited sources close to Netanyahu as stating that Israel already has annexation plans in place, initially developed in 2020 during Trump’s first term as part of the so-called Deal of the Century.
According to these sources, the plans include detailed maps, settlement expansion orders, and a proposed government decision.
(PC, Anadolu)
Trump is a scumbag. He would definitely nuke Iran. These are ALL very dangerous people who have no problem murdering children. Now we’ll see fascism like never before. They voted him in, not me. I voted for Count Chocula.