Donald Trump’s victory in the presidential election gives Israel a unique opportunity to move forward with plans to annex the occupied West Bank, according to Bezalel Smotrich, Minister of Finance and leader of the Religious Zionist Party.
The far-right Zionist hailed Trump’s victory while complaining that Joe Biden “unfortunately chosen to intervene in Israeli democracy and personally not to cooperate with me”.
According to Smotrich, Trump’s first term in office 2017-2021 was very positive for Israel, including moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, and declaring that Israeli settlements in the West Bank are compatible with international law, despite international protests.
According to the Israeli minister, Trump’s return to office provides Israel with an “important opportunity” to fully annex the settlements.
– We were a step away from applying sovereignty to the settlements in Judea and Samaria… The year 2025 will, with God’s help, be the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.
While Smotrich is aware that the outside world will condemn the move, he believes the annexation will ultimately be accepted by both the US and its Arab neighbors.
– I have no doubt that President Trump, who showed courage and determination in his decisions in the first term, will support the State of Israel in this move.
“Time for total victory”
After Trump’s victory, Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of the Jewish Power party and Israel’s national security minister, also declared that it is “the time for sovereignty, the time for total victory” and “time here in the State of Israel to legislate a law for the death penalty for terrorists” – among many other things that he said Trump, unlike Biden, would not oppose.
Mr. Smotrich also wants Gaza to be under Israeli control and the Palestinians to have only limited local autonomy – while those who advocate the creation of an independent Palestinian state should be expelled.
Trump has previously put forward a “peace plan” which, in short, would allow Israel to annex all West Bank settlements – while allowing the Palestinians to form a state consisting of Gaza and the remaining parts of the West Bank – a plan welcomed by Netanyahu, but rejected by both the Palestinians and the far-right parties in Israel’s governing coalition, which refuse to accept the creation of a Palestinian state.
