Condemns Israeli Minister's Statement On The West Bank After Trump's Victory, US: Not Conducive For Peace
US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel condemned right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's pledge to annex most parts of the West Bank following Donald Trump's victory in last week's general election.
"The comments made by the minister are certainly not conducive to building lasting peace, and are highly inconsistent with the principles set by Minister (Foreign Antony) Blinken in Tokyo," Patel said at a press conference, referring to President Joe Biden's efforts to advance two-state solutions by line before 1967 following the war in Gaza. November 13.
"President Biden and Minister Blinken have consistently reaffirmed the United States' clear position in supporting a two-state solution as part of a negotiation process that will ultimately provide an independent Palestinian state, with appropriate security guarantees for Israel," Patel added.
As previously reported, Smotrich said the election of Donald Trump as president of the 47th United States gave Israel "an important opportunity" to "implement Israel's sovereignty over settlements in Judea and Samaria (West Japan).
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 "only to choose to intervene in Israeli democracy and personally not cooperate with me."
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.
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"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.