Israeli government officials demand immediate annexation of occupied West Bank

Al Bawaba

a day ago

ALBAWABA- All 14 ministers from Israel's ruling Likud party, along with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, have signed a letter demanding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proceed with the immediate annexation of the occupied West Bank, Anadolu Agency reported.
The letter calls for the move to be completed by July 27, describing it as a 'historic opportunity' to secure Israel's future and legitimize decades of settlement expansion.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin echoed the demand in a public statement following a meeting with prominent settler leader Yossi Dagan.
'The time has come to annex the West Bank,' Levin said, insisting that the current political moment is a 'historic opportunity we must not miss.'
The move sparked swift condemnation from Arab nations. The Saudi Foreign Ministry denounced the Israeli statements, rejecting what it described as attempts by 'occupation authorities to impose sovereignty over Palestinian lands.'
Egypt's Foreign Minister also strongly condemned the annexation calls, urging immediate international intervention to halt what he termed 'flagrant violations' of Palestinian rights. Jordan joined in denouncing the statements, warning of grave regional consequences.
The push to annex the West Bank, a territory occupied since 1967 and central to any future Palestinian state, would formalize Israeli sovereignty over an area considered illegal to annex under international law.
Supporters within Israel claim the move would bolster national security and align with long-standing historical claims, particularly under the supportive posture of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The recent push by the Israeli government to annex the occupied West Bank is being viewed by many analysts and regional observers as part of a broader, U.S.-backed colonial expansion project that extends beyond Palestine and into parts of Syria and Lebanon.
This drive is reinforced by the escalating U.S.-Israeli confrontation with Iran, which appears aimed at dismantling any regional resistance to expansionist ambitions long championed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump. Also Read Over 170 killed in Gaza in 24 hours as Israel intensifies assault
President Trump has repeatedly justified Israel's expansionist agenda, once comparing Israel to a 'small patch' in a vast Middle Eastern landscape, framing its enlargement as both natural and necessary.
Such rhetoric, coupled with Washington's dominance over international institutions and its readiness to use military and diplomatic pressure, has led many observers in the region to look into the U.S. policy in the Middle East as a modern colonial project that blatantly violates international law and tramples the rights of Palestinians and other regional peoples.
At the heart of this project lies occupied Palestine, viewed by many as both a symbol and a strategic centerpiece of a wider effort to reshape the region through force, annexation, and strategic normalization.