Israel's finance minister announced the construction of a new complex in the West Bank, which will divide the territory where the Palestinians want to create their state in two. Is this the end of the two-state idea?
"This reality buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing and no one to recognize" - with these words, the far-right Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the construction of 3,500 homes in a territory in the West Bank, east of Jerusalem.
The project is known as E1 and is located near the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim.
Smotrich threatened a complete occupation of the West Bank
Israel occupied the West Bank of the Jordan River in 1967, and Israeli settlements on its territory are illegal under international law. The latest decision will divide the territory of the Palestinian Authority in two, separating East Jerusalem, say its critics, which in turn will make the establishment of a Palestinian state practically impossible.
Smotrich announced the decision after a number of countries - including France, Britain and Canada - announced their intention to recognize Palestinian statehood in recent weeks. He threatened that Israel would take full control of "Judea and Samaria", as Israel often calls the West Bank, if Western countries fulfill their request.
Criticism from the Palestinian Authority and the international community
"The entire Israeli government supports this", commented to DW Aviv Tatarsky from the Israeli NGO "Ir Amim". According to Tatarsky, who has been researching relations between Israel and the Palestinian territories for years, Netanyahu is leaving the spotlight on Smotrich in order to save himself international criticism.
However, this was not long in coming. "The construction of settlements is contrary to international law", the German Foreign Ministry recalled. "It makes it more difficult to achieve the agreed two-state solution, as well as the end of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, as required by the International Court of Justice." EU High Representative Kaya Kallas called on Israeli authorities to reconsider their plans, which "bury any chance for peace". The Palestinian Foreign Ministry in Ramallah called for sanctions against Israel.
Smotrich: Trump and Netanyahu support the project
Over 700,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem - the territory of the Palestinian Authority, where the Palestinians hope to create an independent state. The international community largely considers Israeli settlements there to be illegal and defines them as an obstacle to achieving peace in the region. Israel rejects these accusations.
The construction of the E1 complex was criticized by previous US presidents - Joe Biden and Barack Obama, and the project was frozen. Now Smotrich has thanked US President Donald Trump and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, calling them "true friends of Israel". Smotrich, who also lives in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, said that both the Israeli prime minister and the US president support the decision. Now it must receive official support from the government. So far, Benjamin Netanyahu has not commented on the topic.