Turkey has condemned in the strongest terms a speech by Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the far-right Religious Zionist Party, in favour of annexing the Palestinian West Bank next year – words reportedly backed by Israel’s own prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
‘We reject in the strongest terms the statements by Israeli officials calling for the annexation of the occupied West Bank. These statements, which are in defiance of international law and the two-state solution, are proof that Israel’s ultimate goal is the seizure of Palestinian territories,’ said an official statement issued today by the Turkish foreign ministry.
‘The impunity with which Israel pursues its policy of genocide and occupation against the Palestinian people further emboldens Netanyahu and his supporters. The UN Security Council and the international community must take a strong stance against Israel’s unlawful policies,’ the text issued from Ankara added.
‘The year 2025 will be, with God’s help, the year of sovereignty over Judea and Samaria,’ Smotrich said in remarks in Israel’s parliament (Knesset) yesterday, using the biblical names for the West Bank. The far-right politician, whose ministerial portfolio also involves certain areas of the Israeli defence ministry, also claimed to have given instructions to ‘exercise sovereignty’ over Israeli settlements in the occupied territories.
Referring to Trump’s recent victory in the US elections, Smotrich recalled that during his first term in office the newly re-elected US president had carried out very important measures for Israel, including recognising its sovereignty over East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. ‘We were on the verge of implementing sovereignty over the settlements in Judea and Samaria,’ Smotrich said. ‘Now, it’s time to do it,’ he added.
Netanyahu in favour of annexing West Bank with Trump’s help
As reported by Israeli public broadcasting corporation KAN, Netanyahu himself reportedly said during a closed-door meeting with members of his cabinet that he plans to present a plan for the annexation of the West Bank next year, once Trump officially assumes the US presidency in January.
In addition, newly appointed Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar – who has previously favoured annexing parts of Gaza – reiterated yesterday that the idea of a Palestinian state is ‘not realistic’: ‘I don’t think this position is realistic today, and we must be realistic,’ he said in response to statements by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in favour of Palestinian independence.
The right-wing extremist Smotrich’s remarks were countered by regional governments such as Jordan but also by the EU, where foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned his words as ‘a clear step towards the illegal annexation’ of the West Bank by Israel: ‘This kind of rhetoric undermines international law, violates the rights of Palestinians and jeopardises any two-state solution.’
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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