Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Thursday threatened to annex the occupied West Bank if the international community recognizes the state of Palestine next month, in violation of international law, and drawing strong condemnation from Arab countries.
Jordan, Qatar and Egypt denounced Israel’s approval of a new settlement project designed to fragment the occupied territory, calling it a flagrant violation of international law and a direct assault on the Palestinian people’s right to an independent state, warning it would further inflame tensions and derail any prospects for peace.
"You have no chance, there will be no Palestinian state," Smotrich said during a press conference addressed to several countries that plan to recognize the state of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
"You will not decide from overseas what the future of the Jewish people looks like," the radical minister, who has been pushing for the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, said.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law.
Speaking near the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, Smotrich said: "If you recognize a Palestinian state in September, our response will be to assert full Israeli sovereignty in all areas of Judea and Samaria."
Judea and Samaria are terms used by Israel to refer to the West Bank, which has been under Israeli occupation since 1967.
A number of states, including France, Canada and Australia, have pledged to recognize a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly in September in response to Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
They hope the move will bring closer the possibility of a two-state solution, which envisions a Palestinian state and Israel coexisting peacefully.
Jordan's Foreign Ministry denounced the decision as "a blatant violation of international law and an assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to realize their independent state on the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital."
It warned that Israel's "illegal and expansionist policies" fuel cycles of violence in the region, and urged the international community to act to halt Israel's aggression in Gaza and its escalation in the West Bank.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry condemned the move as a "serious breach of international law and relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334," stressing its categorical rejection of Israel's settlement expansion and forced displacement of Palestinians.
It reiterated Doha's firm position in support of the Palestinian people and their right to an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry said the decision to build thousands of settler units near Jerusalem reflects Israel's determination to "seize more Palestinian land and alter the demographic reality" of the occupied territories.
It decried "extremist" remarks by Smotrich promoting settlement expansion, warning such policies would fail to bring stability or security.
Cairo also cautioned against "delusional beliefs" about imposing "Greater Israel," calling them unacceptable.
On Thursday, Israeli media reported that Smotrich approved the construction of 3,401 settler units in Ma'ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, and 3,515 more in surrounding areas. The project aims to split the West Bank into two parts, severing connections between its northern and southern cities and isolating East Jerusalem.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry denounced the move as part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vision for "Greater Israel," warning it would entrench the occupation and eliminate the viability of a Palestinian state.
The international community, including the U.N., considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law. The U.N. has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
In an advisory opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The United States on Thursday responded to Smotrich's announcement that work would start on a long-delayed settlement that would divide the West Bank by saying that a stable West Bank is in line with the Trump administration's goal for peace in the region.
Asked about Smotrich's statement that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed to the revival of the so-called E1 development, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said the U.S. remained focused on ending the war in Gaza and ensuring Hamas will never govern that territory again.
"A stable West Bank keeps Israel secure and is in line with this administration's goal to achieve peace in the region," the spokesperson said, while referring to the Israeli government for further information.
