Right-wing Minister Smotrich Calls Trump's Victory Israel's Opportunity To Implement Sovereignty In The West Bank
JAKARTA - The election of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States gave Israel an "important opportunity" to "implement Israel's sovereignty over settlements in Judea and Samaria," said right-wing Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
Speech in front of the press ahead of the weekly meeting of the Religious Zionism party in Knesset, Smotrich welcomed Trump's victory over incumbent Joe Biden, whose government according to him "Unfortunately chose to intervene in Israeli democracy and personally did not cooperate with me," quoted from The Times of Israel November 12.
The Republican's first term of office in 2017-2021 had a positive impact on Israel, Smotrich said, citing the relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem, recognition of the Golan Heights as territory of Israel and the Trump White House's decision to declare Israeli settlements in the West Bank by international law.
"We are just one step away from the application of sovereignty over settlements in Judea and Samaria, and now is the time to do it," Smotrich said, adding "2025, with the help of God, will be the year of sovereignty inIA and Samaria."
"The only way to get rid of the danger of a Palestinian terrorist state from the agenda is to apply Israel's sovereignty over Jewish settlements throughout JAPAN and Samaria," he continued, calling such action the right response to Hamas, Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed terrorist axes.
He said he had instructed the Directorate of Settlement of the Ministry of Defense and Civil Administration to begin preparing for the basis for the application of sovereignty, Smotrich stressed while Israeli enemies saw October 7 as "the first step in the destruction (Israel), the new Nazis had to pay prices in the region to be drawn from them forever both in Gaza and Jerusalem and Samaria."
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Despite criticism, the Abrahamic Agreement (regarding the Arab-Israel normalization agreement announced at the White House when Trump came to power in September 2020), proved when Israel defended what was right, "in the end he received support and appreciation from the US and neighboring Arab countries," he said.
"I have no doubt that President Trump, who showed courage and determination in his decision during his first term of office, will support the State of Israel in this step," he added.