Palestinian Authority Slams Israeli Minister Smotrich's Calls for West Bank Action

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry issued a strong condemnation of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Monday, following his recent statements advocating for war in the West Bank, mirroring Israel's actions in Gaza, and dismantling the Palestinian Authority. The ministry warned that Smotrich's remarks constitute an explicit call to escalate attacks and commit further crimes against Palestinians, revealing Israeli plans for annexation and expulsion that undermine the possibility of an independent Palestinian state and violate international law.

The ministry asserted that Smotrich's statements and call for broad action in the West Bank translate into the Israeli government's policy of murder, expulsion, settlement expansion, and land confiscation, aiming to forcibly impose a new reality on occupied Palestinian territory. It emphasized that the Palestinian Authority and its institutions are integral to the Palestinian national project and held the Israeli government responsible for any attempts to harm or weaken them.

Furthermore, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry argued that continued international silence on such declarations emboldens the Israeli government, potentially leading to increased tension, violence, and instability in the region. The ministry urged the international community, particularly the UN Security Council and the U.S. administration, to take immediate, tangible steps to compel Israel to cease its aggression, halt settlement expansion, annexation, and expulsions, and protect the Palestinian people and their national institutions. The statement concluded with a call for a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

In response, Smotrich dismissed the Palestinian Authority as a "terror authority" that supports and encourages terrorism. He stated Israel's determination to continue its settlement revolution, bolster national security, and prevent the establishment of a Palestinian terror state. Smotrich also announced plans to expand the settlement movement to the Negev and Galilee regions, framing it as the next step in this endeavor. He linked the continuation of this settlement revolution to a strong Religious Zionism party, warning against a potential left-wing government that he claims intends to evacuate settlements and establish a terror state within Israel.