Smotrich: No Recognition of Palestinian Statehood During US Government Transition
Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Israel has “thwarted a great threat to the settlements and the state of Israel this evening” by ensuring a resolution recognising Palestinian statehood in the UN Security Council would not be passed during the transition period before Donald Trump returns to the White House.
He wrote in a post on X that Israel has ensured a resolution recognising Palestinian statehood in the UN Security Council would not be passed during the period leading up to Donald Trump taking over the White House again in January.
“We will continue to develop the settlements, fortify Israel’s security and prevent the establishment of a terrorist state that will endanger our existence and the future of our children,” Smotrich said.
סיכלנו הערב במהלך חכם ושקט איום גדול על ההתיישבות ועל מדינת ישראל והבטחנו כי לא תעבור החלטה במועצת הביטחון להכרה במדינה פלשתינית בתקופת המעבר בין הממשלים בארה"ב.
נמשיך בע"ה לפתח את ההתיישבות, לבצר את ביטחונה של ישראל ולמנוע הקמת מדינת טרור שתסכן את קיומנו ואת עתיד ילדינו. pic.twitter.com/ZVVxwbBRUC
— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) November 28, 2024
Smotrich has repeatedly called for the military occupation of Gaza and is a staunch supporter of rapidly expanding Israeli settlements on Palestinian land, which are illegal under international law.
This week, speaking at a Yesha Council conference, Smotrich also urged Israel to use its favorable ties with the Trump administration to “encourage voluntary immigration” from Gaza, a term that Israel usually uses to describe the ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people. He claimed this could halve Gaza’s population within two years.
Smotrich also pushed for a full-scale occupation of Gaza. “It can and should be done,” he said, dismissing concerns about costs, which he estimated at “a few hundred million shekels at most.” Israeli broadcaster Kan quoted him saying, “Gaza must be conquered, and its population significantly reduced.”
