Israeli Finance Minister and Religious Zionist leader Bezalel Smotrich said the government will be granting the greenlight for approving 10.000 housing units in West Bank colonies and stated that this is just the beginning of more construction authorizations.
Smotrich said, “this is just the beginning. We must lift all restrictions on constructions” in the West Bank, “which must be considered like any other part of the state of Israel.”
Israeli Ynet News said besides the 10.000 units that will be granted the green light, including 2000 that are already under construction, the government would authorize the construction of an additional 4.300 units this coming May.
Commenting on relations with the U.S. Administration, Smotrich said the relation between the two countries is built on mutual interests and that despite American stances regarding constrictions in the occupied West Bank, he said: “The Administration [of President Joe Biden] understands that the current Israeli government must act on Israeli interests, and knows very well “its position on settlements.”
He also said that Israel and the United States have common interests; however, he added that Tel Aviv openly informs the U.S. Administration of its interests, including its commitment to continuing the construction of colonies.
Ynet said Israel will likely not approve any Palestinian constructions in Area C of the occupied West Bank and added that construction plans approved by the previous government will not be implemented.
It is worth mentioning that Israel is also planning to “legalize” many colonialist outposts built on Palestinian lands without approval from the Israeli government.
Israel’s colonies in the occupied West Bank, including those in and around occupied East Jerusalem, are illegal under International Law, the Fourth Geneva Convention, and various United Nations and Security Council resolutions. They also constitute war crimes under International Law.
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” It also prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory.”
