US EditionTensions Rise as Israel Considers West Bank Annexation
Israel's annexation plan includes legalizing settlements and displacing Bedouin communities, aiming to block Palestinian statehood amid expanding international recognition efforts.
- On September 3, 2025, Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced plans to annex roughly 82% of the occupied West Bank from a press conference in Jerusalem.
- Smotrich's announcement followed increased international moves to recognize Palestinian statehood amid Israel's 1967 occupation and ongoing settlement expansion.
- Smotrich framed the annexation as a preventative step to remove the idea of a Palestinian state and called for applying sovereignty with maximum land and minimal Palestinian population.
- In 2024, the International Court of Justice ruled Israel's occupation illegal and urged evacuation of settlements, while several Western countries plan to recognize Palestinian statehood at the September UN General Assembly.
- Smotrich's proposal drew condemnation from Palestinian leaders, Hamas, and the UAE warning it undermines peace efforts and the Abraham Accords, while critics fear it may increase Israel's international isolation.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Belazel Smotrich, the chief ideologist of the Israeli government, believes that there should be no more "Palestinian collective." Now he puts pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu to annex large parts of the West Bank.
Israel's finance minister Smotrich wants to annex most of the West Bank – and threatens the Palestinian Authority with destruction. The Emirates speak of a "red line".
Bezalel Smotrich stood in front of a map that suggested that most of the West Bank would be annexed, with the exception of six major Palestinian cities, including Ramallah and Nablus.
Tensions Rise as Israel Considers West Bank Annexation
Israel's far-right finance minister has proposed annexing large parts of the West Bank, intensifying regional tensions. The plan excludes major Palestinian cities but has not received Prime Minister Netanyahu's backing. The move could draw international condemnation and poses potential risks for Israel's relations with Arab and Western nations.
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