The far-right ruler rejoiced at Donald Trump’s victory and said that both Gaza and the West Bank will be “taken forever” from the Palestinians.
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Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Monday during a meeting of the Religious Zionist Party that both Gaza and the West Bank will be “retired forever” to the Palestinians, following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential elections.
“We were one step away from implementing sovereignty on settlements in Judea and Samaria (West Bank), and now the time has come to do it,” said Smotrich, who is also deputy minister of the Ministry of Defense, responsible for civil affairs in the occupied West Bank, in statements to members of the ultranationalist coalition , headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Today there is a broad consensus in the coalition and in the opposition against the creation of a Palestinian State that would endanger the existence of the State of Israel,” he added, in a speech in which he also described the members of the Palestinian Islamist party. The Hamas movement and other pro-Iran “Nazi” militias, which also oppose the end of the war in Gaza.
The far-right ruler rejoiced at the victory of Republican Donald Trump in the North American presidential elections, held last week.
“After years in which, unfortunately, the current administration [norte-americana] “He decided to interfere in Israeli democracy and personally refused to cooperate with me as Israel’s finance minister, Trump’s victory also provides an important opportunity,” Smotrich said, adding that “2025 is the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria “.
In late May, the Israeli military handed over significant legal powers in the occupied West Bank to settler officials led by Smotrich, in a move that several legal experts described as an annexation. “Actually”since the final objective is the direct control of the Palestinian territories by the Israeli Government.
Smotrich also said he had instructed the Defense Ministry’s settlement administration division and the Israeli army’s civil administration in the West Bank to begin to the preparation of the infrastructure necessary to occupy the West Bank.
This year it has already been registered a record of Palestinian land grabs, after Israel declared more than 2,300 hectares in the occupied West Bank as state land, a mechanism it uses, along with the designation of nature reserves and military training areas, to expel more Palestinians and control the territory .
The Israeli non-governmental organization (NGO) Peace Now, which opposes Israeli settlements in the West Bank, declared illegal by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), condemned Smotrich’s statements, stating that the annexation of Palestinian territories “serves a messianic minority and will lead to disaster and destruction, condemning Israel to an endless cycle of conflicts and wars that the majority of the population wishes to end.”
Israel took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War and has maintained a military occupation of this Palestinian territory ever since.
The Israeli Government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, promotes a policy of expanding settlements through Israel Colonization Boardwhich has the support of the army on the ground.
Source: Observadora
