In an editorial piece, Haaretz journalist Amira Hass criticized Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's newly unveiled "sovereignty plan" and warned that Smotrich is known for achieving his goals.
“Over roughly twenty years of political activity, Bezalel Smotrich has proven himself to be goal-oriented and highly capable of implementing his intentions. From his fight against the disengagement, through his leadership of the right-wing organization ‘Regavim,’ to his appointment as minister responsible for the settlements—the first to openly declare on October 7, 2023, that the release of hostages was not the top priority—many of his positions have become government policy,” Hass wrote, emphasizing: “Therefore, the program Smotrich announced yesterday at a press conference with senior figures from the settlement establishment must be taken with full seriousness: the official annexation of 82% of the West Bank.”
Hass added: “This is not an election trick or concern over polls. This is a deliberate plan. According to Smotrich, he and the Settlement Administration at the Defense Ministry—the new governmental body he created specifically for the purpose of annexation—have spent recent months drafting sovereignty maps. The annexation will be of land, not people. According to the map, six Palestinian enclaves are colored yellow and separated from one another (the cities of Hebron, Ramallah, Jericho, Nablus, Tulkarm, and Jenin). These are the areas where Palestinians will be allowed to govern themselves. In this way, Smotrich said without batting an eye, a ‘distinct Jewish majority in a Jewish-democratic State of Israel’ will also be preserved.”
Earlier this week, at a press conference held alongside heads of the settlements’ local authorities, Smotrich presented his plan to apply sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. Under the plan, Israel would extend sovereignty over no less than 82% of Judea and Samaria, including open areas defined as Area B under the Oslo Accords.
According to the plan, Israel would implement sovereignty based on the principle of “maximum land, minimum Arabs”—a move that would, in effect, spell the death of the Palestinian state idea and nullify the Oslo Accords.