Israel’s Smotrich sparks backlash with West Bank annexation plan
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Jerusalem: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, has triggered outrage by unveiling maps outlining the possible annexation of large parts of the occupied West Bank. The move would exclude six major Palestinian cities, including Ramallah and Nablus, from Israeli sovereignty.
At a press conference in Jerusalem, Smotrich said his goal was to secure “maximum territory and minimum (Palestinian) population” under Israeli control. He urged Netanyahu to endorse the plan, which is being developed by a Defense Ministry unit under his authority. “The time has come to apply Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria, to remove once and for all from the agenda the idea of dividing our tiny land and establishing a terror state in its center,” he declared, using biblical names widely used in Israel and the administrative name used by the state to describe the area.
Smotrich, a longtime advocate of annexation and a settler leader, argued that excluding Palestinian population centers while extending sovereignty over surrounding areas would permanently eliminate the prospect of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu’s office did not immediately clarify his stance. Analysts noted that any formal annexation would require lengthy legislative steps and could provoke strong international backlash.
The United Arab Emirates, which normalized ties with Israel in 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords, called annexation a “red line.” A spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said any such move would be “illegitimate, condemned, and unacceptable,” while Hamas official Abdel Hakim Hanini warned it would fuel resistance and confrontation.
Smotrich’s comments come as Israel faces growing criticism over its war in Gaza and as countries including France, Britain, Australia and Canada prepare to push for recognition of a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly. Reports have suggested Israel may be weighing annexation as a response to those pledges.
The UN’s top court ruled in 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, was illegal and should end. Israel, however, maintains the land is “disputed” rather than occupied.
