In January, far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir left the Israeli government in protest of the Gaza ceasefire. Now that the genocide has fully restarted, Ben-Gvir is back and his shared interests with Benjamin Netanyahu have never been clearer.
Israel’s ongoing assault on the West Bank is not to wipe out the Palestinian resistance. It is to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from their homes and set the stage for annexation.
Israel is continuing an offensive on the West Bank city of Jenin that analysts say is meant to appease the settler movement as it pushes the government to exert more control over the occupied territory in preparation for annexation.
As of Friday a ceasefire deal still hung in the balance. After delays by Netanyahu, Israel’s cabinet finally convened to deliberate on a vote. But even if the deal goes through, all signs are pointing to Israeli plans to sabotage it after phase one.
Yechiel Leiter, a hardcore settler leader once involved in Meir Kahane’s fascist Jewish Defense League, will be Israel’s next ambassador to the U.S. He will use his role to advocate for one of his long-time goals: Israeli annexation of the West Bank.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has announced that 2025 will be the year Israel annexes the West Bank. With the Trump administration entering the White House, the stage is set for Israel to finally take total control over the occupied territory.
The current operation in the West Bank is meant to test the boundaries of what Israel will be allowed to get away with. It is setting the stage for the forced ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.
Israel is launching a political and military assault on the West Bank. Its legalization of settlements in the north is a crucial part of the story.
The West Bank’s economic crisis and the expansion of Israel’s settlements are connected. Here’s how.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s plan to annex the West Bank would see over 60% of the territory becoming a part of Israel. But Palestinian experts say it is “already happening.”