Trump's return is a 'chance' for Israel; will it now occupy the West Bank?

Israel has become more aggressive on the Palestine issue since Donald Trump announced his return. Israel's far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich has ordered preparations to annex the settler settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Israel is continuously settling settlers in the West Bank region of Palestine and Palestinians are facing forced displacement. This move shows that Israel can expand the scope of its West Bank Annexation Plan in Trump's second term. After annexation, Israeli laws will be applicable in these settlements of the West Bank and an Israeli settler family can be settled in the house of any Palestinian living here.

Instructions for annexation

Smotrich said on Monday that he had instructed his department to prepare the necessary infrastructure to implement sovereignty in the West Bank. It is not yet clear how likely the West Bank annexation plan is to be implemented.

The Prime Minister's Office has not yet commented on Smotrich's statement. However, on Monday, Israel's new Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said in a press briefing that the government has not yet made any decision on the annexation issue. He also said that it was discussed during the first term of US President Donald Trump and said that 'if it is relevant, it will be discussed again with our friends in Washington.'

Experts believe that Smotrich's statement is motivated by his desire to find his footing in the controversial domestic politics in Israel. Palestinian officials have condemned this statement, with the Palestinian Foreign Ministry calling it a clear manifestation of the ongoing campaign of destruction and forced displacement against the Palestinian people.

Trump's victory is an opportunity

Smotrich said in the Knesset (Israeli parliament) that the victory of President-elect Donald Trump in the US election has brought an important opportunity for Israel. Smotrich said that the only way to overcome the threat of a Palestinian state is to impose Israeli sovereignty on all settlements in Judea and Samaria, the term by which Israelis refer to the West Bank.