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Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described explicitly his active efforts to annex the West Bank to Israel days after revealed the Guardian how the pro-settlement politician and his allies have quietly been given significant new legal powers to that end.
Speaking at a meeting of his Religious Zionism party, Smotrich told his colleagues that he had “established[ing] facts on the ground to make Judea and Samaria [an Israeli term for the occupied West Bank] an integral part of the State of Israel”.
“We will establish sovereignty … first on the ground and then through legislation. I plan to legalize the young settlements [illegal outposts]Smotrich said in comments reported by Haaretz. “My life’s mission is to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
Annexation and acquisition of territory by military conquest is prohibited as one of the founding principles of international law, including the UN Charter.
Smotrich’s comments echo recorded remarks he made at a rally of supporters in the West Bank that have been revealed for the first time from the New York Times, in which he appeared to call the administrative changes “mega-dramatic.” He was quoted as saying, “Such changes change the DNA of the system.”
Speaking about the acquisition of new statutory powers, he said “[we] created a separate civilian system,” adding that to avoid international criticism, the government has kept the defense ministry involved in the process, making it appear as if the military is still the main player in governing the West Bank.
“It will be easier to swallow in an international and legal context,” he said.
In addition to serving as finance minister, Smotrich served as a minister in Israel’s defense ministry, including in charge of the Civil Administration, which oversees Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.
As the Guardian revealed last week, the Israeli military recently quietly handed over significant legal powers in the occupied West Bank to settler-supporting civil servants working for Smotrich.
An order published by the Israel Defense Forces on its website on May 29 transferred responsibility for dozens of bylaws in the Civil Administration from the military to officials led by Smotrich in the defense ministry.
Smotrich and his allies have long seen control of the Civil Administration, or significant parts of it, as a means of expanding Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank. Their ultimate goal is direct control by the central government and its ministries. The transfer reduces the likelihood of legal checks on settlement expansion and development.
Israeli politicians have long tried to find ways to permanently conquer or annex the occupied West Bank, which was captured in 1967 and is home to millions of Palestinians.
Speaking after the transfer of powers was revealed, Michael Sfard, an Israeli human rights lawyer, said: “The bottom line is that [for] anyone who thinks the annexation issue is murky, this order should put an end to any doubt.
It is the latest coup for Smotrich, who became finance minister and defense minister following a coalition deal between his far-right political party and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.
The Civil Administration is primarily responsible for planning and construction in Zone C of the West Bank – 60% of the occupied Palestinian Territories under full Israeli administrative and security control – as well as enforcement measures against unauthorized construction, whether by Israeli settlers or Palestinians.
The transfer of laws, which went largely unnoticed in Israel, follows a years-long campaign by pro-settlement politicians to amass many of the legal powers previously held by the military chain of command.
The laws cover everything from building regulations to the management of agriculture and forestry, parks and bathing areas. Lawyers have long warned that transferring them from military to political control would risk Israel coming into conflict with its responsibilities under international law.
Once in government, Smotrich moved quickly to approve thousands of new settlement homes, “legalize” previously unauthorized feral cat outposts, and make it harder for Palestinians to build homes and move.
Israeli media reports say US officials have privately discussed the possibility of imposing sanctions on Smotrich for his destabilizing impact on the West Bank, where he lives in a settlement that is illegal under international law.
Netanyahu has come to rely more on the support of Smotrich and other far-right elements of his coalition government since former Defense Minister Benny Gantz quit Israel’s emergency military cabinet in a dispute over strategy in the Gaza war and how to repatriate Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
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