Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday highlighted his government’s expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, describing the approval of new settlements as the fulfillment of campaign promises.
In a post on the social media platform X, Smotrich wrote: “The construction of 104 new settlements is just some of the promises fulfilled.”
He added: “As I promised, we are proceeding with the establishment of new settlements,” arguing that they serve as “a protective wall” for Israeli cities including Ra’anana, Tel Aviv, Givatayim, and Jerusalem.
On 15th July, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved the establishment of a new settlement in the West Bank. At the time, Smotrich said that since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government took office in late 2022, it had approved the establishment of 104 settlements and 160 settlement outposts in the territory.
His latest remarks come as Israel prepares for general elections scheduled for 27th October.
Earlier this week, Smotrich reiterated his position that the West Bank is “an integral part of the Land of Israel” and has repeatedly said that expanding settlements is intended to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state in the territory.
According to the Israeli anti-settlement organization Peace Now, there are currently 141 Israeli settlements and approximately 360 settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, in addition to 15 settlements in East Jerusalem.
The international community considers Israeli settlements in the territories occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, to be illegal under international law. UN Security Council Resolution 2334 (2016) states that the settlements “have no legal validity” and constitute a violation of international law.
