Far-right Israeli minister orders preparations for West Bank annexation

“I have no doubt that President Trump, who showed courage and determination in his decisions during his first term, will support the State of Israel in this move,” he added.

Smotrich said there is broad agreement within Israel’s ruling coalition for the move and regarding opposition against the formation of a Palestinian state.

“The only way to remove this danger from the agenda is to apply Israeli sovereignty over the settlements in Judea and Samaria,” he declared.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said Smotrich’s remarks confirmed the Israeli government’s intention to annex the occupied West Bank in defiance of international law.

“We hold the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the repercussions of these dangerous policies,” he said. The United States was also responsible for the continuous support it offered to Israel’s aggression, he said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that while leaders of the settler movement may be confident that Trump could be inclined to support such moves, the government had made no decision.

“A decision has not yet been made on the issue,” Saar told a news conference in Jerusalem on Monday.

“The last time we discussed this issue was in the first term of President Trump,” he said. “And so let’s say that if it will be relevant, it will be discussed again also with our friends in Washington.”

Source: aljazeera