Palestine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday that reports about the Israeli government granting far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich powers to approve settlement construction and expansion represents a serious development in the way to a full Israeli annexation of the West Bank.
In a press statement, the Foreign Ministry warned of the dangers of this decision, which it described as another step towards applying Israeli law to the West Bank and facilitating the “quiet, noiseless” approval of settlement projects.
The Foreign Ministry called for real international and American action to press the Israeli government to backtrack on this decision, and to take the necessary practical steps to force the Israeli government to stop its illegal unilateral measures that undermine the opportunities to achieve a two-state solution.
The Israeli government on Sunday approved a law which provides for speeding up construction in the settlements.
The law also includes the transfer of powers for settlement building from the army minister Yoav Galant to the finance minister Bezel Šmotrich, as well as the amendment of a law which cuts short the approval stages for settlement building in the West Bank.
“The mandate would give Smotrich, who represents the government on all matters related to settlements, the ability to influence settlement construction in the West Bank.”
It is worth noting that Smotrich does not hide his public hostility and hatred of the Palestinians, as he has on more than one occasion made hostile statements against the Palestinians.
During the current week, the construction of 4,570 settlement units will be approved, of which 1,332 units are in the final stages, amid expectations of approving thousands of additional units by the end of the current year, especially since it was decided to convene the Supreme Planning Council once every 3 months in order to approve residential units.
