Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared plans to create 22 new settlements in the West Bank, with some existing settlements receiving legal recognition. Smotrich described this move as historically significant for Zionism and Israel's construction agenda. Defense Minister Israel Katz defended the decision as a means to assert historical rights and counter Palestinian terrorism. However, international reaction included strong condemnation; U.K. officials and the Jordanian Foreign Ministry criticized the settlements as illegal under international law, jeopardizing peace efforts while Israeli activists like Peace Now lamented the shift toward settlement expansion over state interests.
The Israeli government no longer pretends otherwise, it is a government of settlement expansion that places political interests ahead of the interests of the State and the people.
We have succeeded in creating a profound strategic change, returning the State of Israel to a path of construction, Zionism, and vision.
This is a flagrant violation of international law and a clear violation of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent, sovereign state.
The approval of these settlements is a deliberate obstacle to Palestinian statehood that does not protect Israel.
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