that he believes “the time has come to apply sovereignty over the West Bank,” according to a translation from the“The year 2025 will be the year of sovereignty in the West Bank,” Smotrich told the members of his party. “I have instructed the Settlement Division in the Defense Ministry and the Civil Administration to begin comprehensive, professional groundwork to prepare the necessary infrastructure for applying sovereignty.
This would mean the annexation of the West Bank or the forcible assertion of Israeli possession over the territory. He said: “I have no doubt that President Trump, who showed courage and determination in his decisions in the first term, will support the State of Israel in this move.” Trump’s reelection has introduced a new dynamic to the negotiations between Israel and its enemies — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government are relying on the incoming administration to reaffirm its past support for the Jewish state.Smotrich is among the most prominent figures of Israel’s religious far-right and has long backed the forced removal of Palestinians from their land.