Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
In a stark and controversial statement, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has openly declared that the Israeli government is working to “systematically erase the Palestinian state,” intensifying fears over the future of the occupied Palestinian territories amid an already volatile regional situation.
Speaking in an interview with Israel’s “Ofek” Saturday news bulletin, Smotrich expressed his ambition to return Jewish settlers to areas in the northern West Bank that were evacuated under the 2005 Disengagement Plan. “I’m working on returning to the evacuated communities in northern Samaria the parks, the jugs,” he said, referring to previously dismantled settlements.
“I hope this will happen in the coming weeks as we correct the sin of disengagement,” Smotrich continued. “The people of Israel are correcting the sin in Gaza, and I hope we succeed in completing the correction in northern Samaria as well.”
The minister then took his message a step further, stating: “What we are honored to do in this term is simply to erase the Palestinian state. Later, with God’s help, it will be done officially. But first and foremost, we are removing the idea from the agenda this is one of the key lessons of October 7 and we are solidifying facts on the ground.”
Settlements Resume in the West Bank
Smotrich’s comments come amid a broader push by the Israeli government to deepen its presence in the occupied West Bank. In May, the Knesset repealed sections of the 2005 Disengagement Law that had barred settlers from entering the northern West Bank settlements of Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim near Jenin and Nablus. The repeal effectively reopened the door for settlers to return to areas that had been off-limits for nearly two decades.
The decision has drawn condemnation from Palestinians and the international community, who view settlement expansion as a direct violation of international law and a major obstacle to any future two-state solution. The Israeli government’s moves have also been widely interpreted as a shift toward formal annexation of parts of the West Bank.
Smotrich, a key figure in Israel’s far-right religious nationalist movement, has long opposed the idea of Palestinian statehood and advocates for expanded Jewish sovereignty over all land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. His comments further confirm a direction in policy that many had already suspected: a deliberate dismantling of the political vision for a sovereign Palestinian state.
Context: The Gaza War and Cabinet Decisions
The finance minister’s remarks were made just hours after Israel’s security cabinet, following a 10-hour closed-door session, approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial plan to occupy Gaza City. The plan, despite internal opposition from the Israeli military leadership, marks a major escalation in the nearly two-year-long conflict with Hamas and is expected to deepen the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.
Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi reportedly warned the cabinet of severe military, humanitarian, and international repercussions. Yet the government moved forward, further entrenching its hardline posture on both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Regional and International Fallout
Smotrich’s statement is likely to trigger further international condemnation and diplomatic backlash. While Israel has never formally recognized the creation of a Palestinian state, it has often treaded carefully in how it frames its policies publicly, particularly when it comes to appeasing allies like the United States and European Union, who continue to support a negotiated two-state solution.
By stating openly that the government’s goal is to “erase” the idea of Palestinian statehood, Smotrich has effectively laid bare the ideological underpinning of current government policy, putting Israel on a direct collision course with much of the international community.
A Deepening Crisis
The cumulative effect of these policies is a deteriorating situation on the ground. Palestinians continue to face displacement, restricted movement, and economic hardship under occupation, while diplomatic efforts to revive peace negotiations remain stalled.
Smotrich’s comments, far from being an off-the-cuff remark, reflect a broader ideological shift that seeks to render any future Palestinian state impossible, not only through words but through settlement expansion, legal maneuvers, and military force.
As the Israeli government presses forward with these policies, the hope for a negotiated peace continues to dim, replaced instead by a deepening sense of confrontation and irreversible change across the Palestinian territories.
