Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a budget of 1.3 billion shekels (434 million dollars) for the construction of 34 new settlements in the occupied West Bank. This announcement was made on Tuesday by right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, further intensifying disputes over the territory, which most countries view as essential for the establishment of a future Palestinian state.
UN bodies, Palestinians, and most countries consider these settlements illegal under international law and a major obstacle to peace, but Israel disputes this assessment.
Finance Minister’s position and international criticism
Smotrich, a long-time opponent of Palestinian statehood, leads the Religious Zionism party, which has substantial support from settlers. The planned 34 new settlements will raise the total number established during his four-year term to 103. According to Smotrich, an additional 1.075 billion shekels will be allocated for the construction of roads to these new settlements.
Last month, government ministers submitted the settlement financing plan for consideration by the Security Cabinet. Smotrich described the Cabinet’s decision as historic and a “day of celebration for Israel and the settlements,” thanking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his support. Public opinion polls indicate that Netanyahu is losing ground ahead of the October elections.
“We are strengthening the security of the State of Israel, eliminating the idea of creating a terrorist state in the heart of the country, and reinforcing our control over Judea and Samaria,” said Smotrich, using the biblical term for the West Bank.
In recent months, violence by settlers against Palestinians and their property has increased. Approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers reside among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel has not extended sovereignty to the occupied West Bank, while rejecting international objections to the settlements and asserting that it is a disputed territory where Jews have lived for thousands of years.
Source: The Straits Times
