Hagar Shezaf, who earlier this month left her position as Haaretz's reporter in Judea and Samaria, commented on the influence of Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on the region.
Shizaf said on the podcast Press Conference, that "There was a crazy revolution that Smotrich made in the structure of civilian control in the West Bank, as part of the coalition agreement."
She claimed that those responsible are Smotrich and Yehuda Eliyahu, who was appointed head of the Settlement Administration. "They basically control the West Bank today".
She added, "Policy related to land, building permits, demolitions, it's all with him, everything has completely passed into the hands of the settlers."
Shizaf criticized the media, "If there were a functioning media regarding the West Bank, then this would be a story, but the reality is that almost no one knows about it except me and people who are very interested in the field. The situation is crazy."
"There was annexation. What Smotrich did was simply transfer the powers into his hands and those of a series of settlers and right-wing figures he appointed under him". When the interviewer asked whether Smotrich had won, she replied, "Completely, completely."