Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Saturday that he will soon present a plan he described as strategic for the government’s approval, as part of what he called strengthening settlements in the West Bank and thwarting the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Smotrich explained – via the X platform – that their answer “must be to strengthen settlements and thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state that endangers our security and existence,” according to him, referring to the European countries’ recognition of the State of Palestine earlier, and the escalation of resistance operations in the West Bank.
Minister Smotrich, who heads a party that supports settlers and is himself a settler, stressed that he will soon present a strategic plan for government approval to achieve these “goals,” saying that they are “committed to expanding the operation in the northern West Bank and acting decisively in the face of any threat.”
In the middle of this month, the occupation authorities published plans to build a new settlement, while Palestine denounced the decision announced by Smotrich to begin establishing that settlement on the lands of Bethlehem in the southern occupied West Bank.
Smotrich explained at the time that the move came in response to what he called the actions of the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank and the countries that recognized a Palestinian state, saying, “No decision against Israel will stop the expansion of settlements… We will continue to fight the dangerous idea of a Palestinian state… This is my life’s mission.”
Smotrich added that the new settlement is called “Nahal Hillitz” and will be built on an area of 60 hectares, and will be part of the “Gush Etzion” settlement group and will connect it to Jerusalem, considering this a “national mission,” according to him.
For its part, the Israeli NGO Peace Now said at the time, “Smotrich continues to promote de facto annexation, ignoring the UNESCO agreement that Israel has signed, and we will all pay the price.”
This came after the Israeli government approved plans to build nearly 5,300 new homes in West Bank settlements, in what was described as the latest step in a campaign to accelerate settlement expansion, despite international warnings.
The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry considered Smotrich’s announcement of the establishment of a new settlement on citizens’ lands near Bethlehem as part of an expansionist colonial policy, and saw that what it called the international failure to implement the relevant UN resolutions encourages the occupation government to continue to deepen settlement.
Last month, Hamas and the Palestinian Foreign Ministry denounced the Israeli government’s decision, following the cabinet’s approval of a plan by Smotrich that includes “legalizing five settlement outposts in the West Bank, issuing tenders to build thousands of housing units in the settlements,” and taking action against the Palestinian Authority.
Since the start of the war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, Israeli ministers have called for intensifying settlements in the West Bank and rebuilding settlements in the Strip.
Last May, Spain, Ireland and Norway, before being joined by Slovenia, joined the majority of UN member states that recognized a Palestinian state, considering it “the only way to achieve lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians,” while Israel attacked those countries.
