"Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir have remained steadfast in their commitment to authorize more settler outposts, and the Higher Planning Council, the branch of the Civil Administration which oversees construction in the West Bank, is set to meet this Wednesday to greenlight some 7,000 of the housing units."
One definition of fascism I’ve read is that “fascism is, what fascism does.”
We’re long past Ex. A for that here, but add this to the Exhibit List. The difference between Trump (and presumably DeSantis) and Biden, is that Trump would have been standing next to Smotrich, crowing with him that settlements will be expanded, in violation of International Law.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday that Israel will continue to expand Jewish settlement in the West Bank, despite Prime Minister Netanyahu's promise to the Biden administration of a "settlement freeze."
The far-right leader vowed to plow on with settlement expansion in a Knesset meeting. "Construction [of settlements] in the West Bank will continue. The planning will continue," he told Religious Zionism lawmakers.
"We are doing what we pledged," he added, citing an unspecified clause in a government decision that "allows [the government] to continue building settlements."
After Israel's government approved almost 10,000 settlement units and took steps to legalize nine outposts in the West Bank last week, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States condemned the announcement, and the UN Security Council expressed "deep concern and dismay" about the plan.
Following the backlash, Netanyahu's office issued a statement informing the United States that it will not build or approve new Jewish settlements in the West Bank beyond the nine that were approved last week.
However, Netanyahu's office emphasized that it will continue to demolish unauthorized Palestinian construction in Area C of the West Bank.
Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir have remained steadfast in their commitment to authorize more settler outposts, and the Higher Planning Council, the branch of the Civil Administration which oversees construction in the West Bank, is set to meet this Wednesday to greenlight some 7,000 of the housing units.
The United Nations Security Council vote on Israeli settlement expansion on TuesdayCredit: MIKE SEGAR/Reuters
Smotrich declared last week that another Higher Planning Council meeting was scheduled to take place in three months, but it remains unclear how the prime minister's latest move could affect his plans.
Much of Smotrich's work on expanding settlement construction, in any case, is taking place behind the scenes.
The Higher Planning Council is expected to approve several outposts as neighborhoods of existing settlements, as doing so doesn’t require cabinet approval. Among them are Pnei Kedem, as a neighborhood of the Metzad settlement, Nofei Nehemia as a neighborhood of the Rehelim settlement and the Zayit Ra’anan outpost as a neighborhood of the Talmonim settlement.
