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PARIS — His name is Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s Finance Minister and head of the civil administration of the occupied West Bank. Amid ongoing war, this leader of a far-right party and member of Benjamin Netanyahu‘s coalition has just fanned the flames by announcing that the annexation of the West Bank is set for 2025.
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This announcement is clearly a consequence of Donald Trump’s victory in the United States. Smotrich believes it creates favorable momentum for his colonization agenda over what remains of Palestinian territories.
Trump’s choice for ambassador to Israel strengthens that position: Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas and evangelist supportive of settler views. During his first term, Trump moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and recognized Israel’s annexation of the Syrian Golan Heights, seized by Israel after the June 1967 war.
Netanyahu’s non-response
Smotrich’s statement on annexation sparked strong condemnation from the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, who reiterated that annexation is entirely illegal under international law. Yet the Israeli prime minister has not responded; he’ll let it go and decide in due course.
Netanyahu and his political allies have circled around this proposal for several years. They initially abandoned it to avoid hindering the Abraham Accords process, which established diplomatic relations with several Arab countries.
Who could oppose them in an international community that is fragmented and powerless?
The two far-right parties — Smotrich’s party and that of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir — are supporters of a “Greater Israel.” They leave no room for compromise.
Today, with an ally like Trump in the White House and a military balance that has once again shifted in Israel’s favor through the destruction of Gaza and massive bombings in Lebanon, supporters of annexation feel emboldened. Who could oppose them in an international community that is fragmented and powerless?
No other land
In the West Bank, around 3 million Palestinians live under occupation, which has continued since 1967, as their lands are gradually encroached upon by some 450,000 Israeli settlers. To understand the daily lives of these Palestinians under occupation, see No Other Land, a documentary released today in theaters in France.
This film was made by an Israeli and a Palestinian, Yuval Abraham and Bassel Adra, who became friends and spent several years documenting the harassment faced by a Palestinian community in the southern West Bank, both from the Israeli army and settlers. The young Palestinian even filmed the killing of his cousin by a settler — images that sadly echo all too frequent events.
Their powerful testimony has not stopped the relentless advance of colonization.
No Other Land won an award at the Berlin Festival earlier this year, and last week in Paris, the two young filmmakers received the “Courage in Journalism Award,” presented by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
Their powerful testimony has not stopped the relentless advance of colonization. Nor has it stopped Smotrich from coming to Paris today to participate in a public meeting of an extremist organization called “Israel is Forever.” Embarrassed, the French government is allowing the event to proceed while denying any contact with the controversial minister. The Trump era is certainly off to a strong start.
