Financial official of Israel discusses plans for annexing the West Bank
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's threat to annex the West Bank if a Palestinian state is recognised has ignited political tensions and drawn strong international condemnation. During a recent press conference near the settlement of Maale Adumim, Smotrich declared that if a Palestinian state is recognised in September, Israel will assert full sovereignty over all areas of Judea and Samaria, commonly known as the West Bank.
Smotrich's stance emboldens settler expansion and reflects a broader strategy by elements in the Israeli government to consolidate control over the West Bank and East Jerusalem. This move has been met with criticism from far-right ministers and settlers pushing for de facto annexation, which could change the region’s demographics and geography in ways that undermine Palestinian statehood prospects.
International reactions have been sharply critical. The United Nations has condemned the settlement expansions, including the E-1 plan, as unlawful steps that further entrench annexation and violate international law. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation as reaching "new heights" of Palestinian suffering, emphasising the urgent need to uphold the two-state solution with East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital.
Several countries, including France, Canada, and Australia, plan to recognise a Palestinian state next month with the goal of advancing a two-state solution, meaning Israel and an independent Palestinian state coexisting peacefully side by side. France and Saudi Arabia have been acknowledged for their attempts to reschedule a high-level international conference aimed at advancing a peaceful settlement, underscoring the importance of coordinated international efforts to maintain focus on a two-state solution despite the accelerating annexation process.
The international community views these moves, particularly the E-1 settlement, as sabotaging the territorial contiguity necessary for a viable Palestinian state, which could trigger more violence and destabilise regional peace prospects. Over 700,000 settlers now live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas occupied by Israel in 1967. According to Israeli law, the settlements are illegal, yet the Israeli government rejects the two-state solution, claiming it threatens Israel's existence.
In humanitarian terms, Israel’s ongoing settlement expansion accompanies increased settler violence, displacement of Palestinians, and destruction of homes, aggravating the humanitarian crisis and violating human rights in the West Bank. Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas member, praised the expected recognition of a Palestinian state last month in a TV interview as the "fruits of October 7."
In summary, Smotrich’s threat and the related settlement approvals represent a significant escalation in Israel’s unilateral actions in the West Bank, provoking widespread international backlash, complicating peace efforts, and threatening the fragile prospects for a two-state solution recognised by most of the international community.
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