Smotrich said he wants Netanyahu to annex the occupied West Bank if the ICJ deems Israeli settlements in the territory unlawful.
Smotrich made the comments at a time the United Nations’ main law enforcement body is set to issue a political advisory opinion on the legal effects of the occupation of the territory of the Palestinian state by Israel on Friday. The minister said,
“No one will remove the people of Israel from the land”; if the ICJ decides that the settlements are unlawful, Netanyahu should have rejoined with a “historic decision of applying sovereignty to the territories of the homeland.”
The far-right minister also vowed to prevent the emergence of the Palestinian state through the construction of thousands of homes, regulating the settlements, construction of roads, and other activities that are in the field are predominantly and unlawful by international guidelines.
Israel’s capture of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem in 1967 has been described as the longest occupying mission ever and has remained a major subject of criticism.
According to the legal norms of the conflict, the occupying power is forbidden to transfer part of its population into the occupied territory. The Israeli Supreme Court made this assertion in 2005.
While the international community awaits the ICJ’s judgment, the region’s situation is rather tense. It may worsen if Smotrich’s demands for annexation are considered.
