Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (left) with Netanyahu.<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s finance minister and de facto “governor<\/a>” of the West Bank, Bezalel Smotrich, has unveiled a controversial plan to annex the vast majority of the occupied<\/a> Palestinian <\/a>territory.<\/p>\n Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Smotrich proposed absorbing 82 percent of the West Bank into Israel, a move that would effectively eliminate the prospect of a future Palestinian state.<\/p>\n He said the plan was prepared by the Settlement Administration within the Ministry of Defence.<\/p>\n Under the proposal, only six isolated enclaves – where major Palestinian cities such as Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus, Ramallah, Jericho and Hebron are located – would remain outside of Israeli control. All other areas, including dozens of towns and villages, would be formally annexed.<\/p>\n Smotrich described the principle behind the plan as taking control of \u201cmaximum land with minimum [Palestinian] population\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can never allow an existential threat to establish itself among us, and after decades of hesitation, it is time to state this clearly and act accordingly,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is time to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria [the biblical term for the West Bank] and remove, once and for all, the idea of dividing our small land and establishing a terrorist state in its heart.\u201d<\/p>\n The minister presented a map illustrating the proposal, which bore the official logo of the Ministry of Defence.<\/p>\n The map presented by Finance Minister Smotrich proposes Israel annexing 82% of Judea and Samaria \u2014 and has the Ministry of Defense\u2019s logo on it. pic.twitter.com\/u6xrE2Ws9l<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Amit Segal (@AmitSegal) September 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n