Israeli minister, Bazalel Smotrich under fire over call to annex West Bank

Admin I Tuesday, November 12, 2024

 

TEL AVIV, Israel – Germany’s ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, on Tuesday condemned a call by hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for Israel to start preparations for extending sovereignty to the West Bank.

“The demand by minister Smotrich to ‘apply sovereignty’ over the Westbank is an open call for annexation,” Seibert posted on X.

“Any preparation to implement this goal is in full breach of international law. We strongly condemn this announcement which threatens the stability of the entire region,” he added.

On Monday, Israel’s Jerusalem Post newspaper reported that Smotrich had instructed Israeli settlement authorities overseeing West Bank settlements to prepare the necessary infrastructure for extending sovereignty. It cited a statement from Smotrich’s office.

In addition, Smotrich posted on X: “2025 – the year of Jewish sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” in reference to the territory of the West Bank.

Smotrich was referencing plans outlined in 2020 for annexing Israeli settlement blocks covering 30% of the West Bank. The region has been occupied by Israel since 1967 but is claimed by the Palestinians claim as part of an independent state with its capital in East Jerusalem.

These plans were not pursued on account of the Abraham Accords agreed with Arab countries when Donald Trump was serving his first term as US president. The accords, agreed in September 2020, concern the normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries.