Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said he is working to grant 500,000 illegal Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank “the same rights of every citizens in Israel.”
“My life’s mission is to build the Land of Israel and thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger the State of Israel. It’s not political. It is national and existential,” Smotrich posted on X on Monday.
He added: “I will continue to work with all my strength to allow the half million settlers who are on the front line and under fire to enjoy the same rights of every citizen in Israel and to establish facts on the ground that will prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
Smotrich is responsible for settlement affairs in the occupied West Bank.
Illegal Annexation
Last month he launched a campaign to illegally annex three percent of the so-called Area B, in the occupied territory, entailing the expulsion of Palestinians and the destruction of all structures in the area.
An investigation by The Washington Post on August 15 revealed that Israel is actively redrawing the map of the West Bank by seizing Palestinian lands, expanding settlements, and demolishing villages and towns.
According to the newspaper, these actions represent “the most significant territorial changes in the West Bank in decades”, with the main goal of fragmenting the territory.
The West Bank is home to around half a million illegal Jewish settlers, in addition to more than 230,000 settlers in occupied East Jerusalem.
Knesset Resolution
In July, the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) passed a resolution rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state, calling it an “existential threat” to Israel.
“The establishment of a Palestinian state in the heart of the Land of Israel will pose an existential danger to the State of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and destabilize the region,” the resolution stated.
Tensions have intensified throughout the occupied West Bank as Israel’s military assault on the Gaza Strip continues.
At least 692 individuals have since been killed and more than 5,700 injured by Israeli gunfire in the occupied West Bank, according to the Health Ministry.
The escalation follows a significant ruling by the International Court of Justice on July 19 which declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and mandated the dismantling of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.