Israeli Minister Seeks West Bank Annexation, Courting Trump’s Support

Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has directed preparations for annexing West Bank settlements. On Monday, Smotrich, who oversees these settlements, announced he had ordered his department to “prepare the infrastructure for applying sovereignty” in these areas. However, it remains uncertain whether this move to extend Israeli law over West Bank settlements will happen soon, as the Prime Minister’s Office has not yet responded.

Earlier that day, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated that no formal decision on annexation had been made but recalled similar discussions during Donald Trump’s first term as U.S. president, suggesting the issue could be revisited with Washington if relevant.

The Palestinian Authority quickly condemned Smotrich’s statement, with its foreign ministry calling it “a blatantly colonial and racist extension” of displacement and violence against Palestinians. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, accused Israel of aiming to control the West Bank entirely by 2025 and held both Israel and the U.S. responsible for ongoing violence.

Smotrich told the Knesset that Trump’s election offers an “important opportunity” for Israel, arguing that extending Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank is the “only way to eliminate the threat of a Palestinian state.” Since Israel captured the West Bank in 1967, it has expanded settlements, housing around half a million Israelis there, although international law deems these settlements illegal.

He further said he aims to lead a government decision that would seek international support, particularly from the U.S., to extend sovereignty in the area. During Trump’s first term, he recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and supported Israel’s claim to the Golan Heights, both significant shifts in U.S. policy.

Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad responded to Smotrich’s remarks, asserting they reveal Israel’s “colonial intentions” and denying the feasibility of peace. Meanwhile, ongoing violence in Gaza and the West Bank has led to high casualties, with tens of thousands killed or displaced in Gaza and escalating violence in the West Bank, including settler attacks.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Sa’ar mentioned that Israel may end its Gaza operations once its objectives are met, and he reiterated opposition to a separate Palestinian state. At the same time, the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in a summit in Riyadh, condemned Israeli actions in the West Bank and called for international intervention to halt the expansion of settlements, which they argue undermines prospects for a two-state solution.