At the heart of an international controversy, Israel faces crucial political decisions regarding the strengthening of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. This initiative follows the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state by several countries, such as Norway, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia.
In an official statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, it is specified that all proposals aimed at strengthening the settlements in Judea and Samaria, according to the biblical terminology used by Israel, will be put to a vote at the next meeting of the Security Cabinet . This approach comes in a context where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly refuses to commit to a two-state solution.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry reacted by denouncing this recognition as a reward for terrorism, likely to strengthen the Hamas group. Additionally, Israel is considering measures against the Palestinian Authority, which has engaged in hostile actions against Israel within international organizations.
At the same time, the Palestinian Authority decided to join South Africa in a legal action against Israel before the International Court of Justice, thus opening a new perspective in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In a speech tinged with radicalism, the far-right Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, advocated last May the approval of 10,000 new settlements in the West Bank, the creation of a new colony for each country recognizing State of Palestine, as well as the cancellation of travel permits for Palestinian Authority officials.
It remains unclear whether these radical ideas will be included in the proposals currently being discussed in Israel. This situation highlights the urgency of finding balanced diplomatic solutions in order to preserve peace and stability in the region.