Jerusalem: Israel’s far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, announced on Wednesday, September 3, that the government plans to annex 82 percent of the occupied West Bank. The move is aimed at preventing the formation of a Palestinian state.

Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism Party, said, “Israeli sovereignty will be applied to 82 percent of the territory. It is time to apply Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria and remove once and for all the idea of dividing our small land.”

Smotrich outlined that Palestinian affairs would continue to be managed by the Palestinian Authority temporarily, with the potential for “regional civilian management alternatives” in the future. He emphasised that the annexation principle is “maximum land with minimum Arab population” and insisted, “There will never, and can never be, a Palestinian state in our land.”

The minister described the annexation as a “preventative step” against international recognition of Palestinian statehood. Several nations, including Belgium, France, the UK, Canada, and Australia, have indicated plans to recognise a Palestinian state during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), joining 147 countries that already do.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Smotrich’s remarks, calling them “provocative” and part of “ongoing crimes of settlement, annexation, genocide, and displacement of the Palestinian people.”

In a statement, the ministry declared all unilateral Israeli measures in the West Bank and Jerusalem as illegitimate and void, urging the international community to impose sanctions and pressure Israel to halt its occupation policies.

In response, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also voiced strong opposition. UAE Assistant Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Lana Nusseibeh, described the annexation plan as a “red line” and warned it would undermine the spirit of the Abraham Accords, the 2020 agreements normalising ties between Israel, the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.

Nusseibeh stressed the importance of preventing extremists in Israel from dictating regional policies.

Additionally, Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), denounced Israeli calls to expand settlement construction and annex the West Bank, calling them “dangerous and suspicious.”

He warned that these actions “undermine peace prospects and destabilise the region,” stressing they are “a blatant challenge to international laws and conventions.” Al-Budaiwi also urged the international community to take “urgent and deterrent measures” to stop these practices.

Al-Budaiwi reiterated the GCC’s firm support for the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights, especially the establishment of an independent state based on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

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