Israel|Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich directs the army’s administrative power to the residents of illegal settlements, contrary to the guidelines of the Israeli Supreme Court.
of Israel the far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has told his party that he has taken steps to practically annex the West Bank to Israel and at the same time prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.
This is evident from the recording recorded at the meeting, which was the first to be reported The New York Times. The matter is also dealt with, for example Times of Israel, Haaretz and The Guardianwho previously reported on the plan based on other sources.
Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967. It has given the Palestinian Authority limited powers in the region, while at the same time continuously expanding its settlements.
According to the UN, Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal. Israel has recognized only some of the settlements as illegal.
Smotrich said at his party’s event that the newer settlements will be legalized and Israel’s sovereignty in the region will be implemented first in practice and then in law.
“The purpose of my life is to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state,” Smotrich declared, saying he would succeed by increasing Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
UN has advocated the model of two independent states, in which the central areas of the Palestinian state would be the West Bank, Gaza surrounded by Israel and Egypt, and East Jerusalem.
For decades, Israel’s official position has been that the fate of the West Bank will be decided in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian leadership. Before the outcome of the negotiations, Israel’s Supreme Court considers that it is a “legal and temporary” military occupation.
At his party’s event, Smotrich told about the ways in which he has already transferred the administrative responsibility of the West Bank from the army to the settlers.
The disclosure of the measures makes it even more difficult for Israel’s Supreme Court to justify its current position on the temporary military occupation.
Is there is also a one-state model in which Israel and the Palestinian territories it occupies and blockades are united and everyone gets a common state passport and full citizenship rights.
However, the current situation and the increasing spread of Israelis to the West Bank suits Smotrich better.
Director of the Palestinian think tank Horizon Center Ibrahim Dalalsha tells The New York Times that the only surprise was that Smotrich stated his obvious goals out loud.
According to Dalasha, Israel has been aiming for decades to hollow out the West Bank with settlements that make the creation of a Palestinian state impossible.
Smotrich’s and the influence of other extremists on the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in government has grown since the more moderate Benny Gantz took his party out of the war cabinet.
According to Gantz, Israel needs a concrete plan for what will happen to the Gaza Strip, which was held by the extremist organization Hamas, after the Israeli attack.
Israel has declared its goal to destroy Hamas’ military and administrative resources. As the administrative resource is now being destroyed, Gaza threatens to descend into chaos and, according to the UN, the region is threatened with famine.
The fighting and the occasional closure of border crossings have hampered the delivery of aid to civilians. With the collapse of the administration, the looting of grants has also increased
Smotrcih represents the strongest line here as well. He has criticized humanitarian aid for helping Hamas. He demands Israeli military rule in Gaza and the return of Israeli settlements to the area.
of Israel and Hamas, which controls the Egyptian blockade of Gaza, and other Gazan extremist organizations launched a bloody surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,170 people and taking about 250 hostages.
Israel responded massively and has repeatedly struck areas full of civilians as well.
Secretary General of the UN António Guterres told in May already mourning the deaths of more than 36,000 Palestinians and around 1,500 Israelis in “relentless violence”.
According to the Ministry of Health under Hamas, the number of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks is already more than 37,000.
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