Summary
Israeli settlers in the West Bank, emboldened by Trump’s return and a far-right Israeli government, are pushing for formal sovereignty over the territory.
Settlement activity has surged to record levels under Prime Minister Netanyahu, with nearly 6,000 acres designated as state land in 2024 and dozens of new outposts established.
While settlers see this as fulfilling Biblical claims, Palestinians view it as erasing hopes for a future state.
Critics warn annexation could jeopardize regional stability and U.S.-brokered normalization efforts, such as those with Saudi Arabia.
They were calling for annexation or the west bank a month ago, gaza violence never stopped, and they are doing the same now in Lebanon. Are we now pretending that Biden was holding them back? He clearly wasnt.
People have called for it but it slowed during the war etc. There’s a reason Smotrich waited until after the American election to announce that he was tasking government officials to draw up plans etc.
Gaza violence is not the same as annexing the West Bank.
Things didnt slow down past the immediate issue of having to redeploy some settler terrorists from the Westbank to Gaza.
Overall they accelerated a lot already in 2024.
He even came out to stop Bernie’s proposal to stop arms shipments to Israel, and called the ICC arrest warrant of Netanyahu and Gallant “outrageous” just to drive home the point.