Israeli finance minister calls for Gaza-style war in occupied West Bank
He urged Israeli forces to repeat Gaza tactics in the West Bank and said dismantling the Palestinian Authority would block armed groups from regrouping.
- Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared his mission for the next term is to "Judaize" the Negev and Galilee while eradicating crime and protection rackets in Israel's Arab sector.
- Citing a 20-year "illusion of quiet," Smotrich argued that security threats grew on borders while officials feared re-establishing the Jewish outpost Evyatar would ignite violence across Judea, Samaria, Gaza, and Lebanon.
- Smotrich cited Shin Bet data showing more than 1 million illegal weapons in Israel's Arab sector, including more than 1,000 machine guns and explosive charges.
- Amid political friction, Smotrich criticized Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and Supreme Court Chief Justice Yitzhak Amit for blocking right-wing policies, while polls show neither bloc can assemble more than 60 seats in the 120-member Knesset.
- Regarding his actions surrounding Oct. 7, Smotrich stated, "I also bear responsibility," while emphasizing his work over the past three years managing a 150 billion shekel defense budget.
85 Articles
85 Articles
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the Israeli military to launch a large-scale military operation in the West Bank, demanding that an approach similar to that followed by Israel in Gaza be implemented there. In an interview with Ynet, Smotrich said that Israel should “go to war in Judea and Samaria,” using the biblical term for the West Bank. He said the military should be instructed to dismantle any infrastructure that Is…
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the annexation of parts of the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, as well as a military operation against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. "I would like to annex at least up to the Yellow Line in Gaza and up to the Litani River in Lebanon, because if a war ends at the same borders where it began, what will stop the enemy from going to war again," Smotrich said. The "Yellow Line" delin…
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants warned of the seriousness of the statements made by the Minister of Finance of the Israeli occupation in Tesel Smutrich, calling for a war on the West Bank, a repetition of what took place in the Gaza Strip and the dismantling of the Palestinian National Authority, as an explicit call for the expansion of aggression, displacement and annexation.
Hezbollah chief accuses Lebanon's own authorities of aiding 'Israeli-American project' as Smotrich calls for annexation to the Litani
Hezbollah's secretary general accused Lebanon's government of siding with Israel and the United States, saying the president has no right to 'relinquish Lebanon's right to prosecute the enemy,' while Israel's finance minister publicly pushed for annexing territory as far as the Litani River.
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