Israel minister pledges West Bank settlements annexation in 2025

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00:00It's another sign that the Israeli government could be preparing to annex parts of the occupied

00:05West Bank.

00:07On Monday, Israel's far-right finance minister pledged to extend sovereignty to Israeli settlements

00:12in the Palestinian Territory.

00:15The only way to remove the threat of a terrorist Palestinian state from the agenda is to implement

00:20Israeli sovereignty over all of the Judea and Samaria settlements.

00:25Bezion Smotrych, who also oversees Israeli settlements, said he had ordered preparations

00:30to apply sovereignty over the colonies, home to some 500,000 Israeli settlers.

00:36The vast majority of the international community considers these settlements illegal under

00:39international law.

00:41The annexation would be a major and highly controversial act, though Smotrych said he

00:46hopes to soon have the support of the United States.

00:50The finance minister said Donald Trump's victory in the US election brings an important opportunity

00:54for Israel.

00:55During his first term, Trump reversed a long-standing White House position that Israeli settlements

01:00in the occupied West Bank were illegal under international law, and also moved the US embassy

01:06to Jerusalem.

01:07A spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority's presidency said Smotrych's remarks confirmed

01:12the Israeli government's intention to seize control of the West Bank, and also pointed

01:17the finger at the US.

01:19We hold the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the repercussions of

01:23these dangerous policies.

01:25The United States was also responsible for the continuous support it offered to Israel's

01:29aggression.

01:30Smotrych's comments come shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appointed

01:36a new US ambassador, Yehi Yeleta, who is also a staunch defender of Israeli settlements

01:42in the occupied West Bank.

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