Israel’s recent actions to enhance control over the occupied West Bank, criticized globally as a step toward annexation, are championed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who aims to rewrite history and international law to claim the territory for Israel. The new regulations facilitate Israeli Jews purchasing Palestinian land and expanding illegal settlements, reflecting Smotrich’s long-standing ideological commitment to the settler movement. Despite a controversial past, including allegations of terrorism, Smotrich gained political power through a coalition with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, both of whom have intensified their settlement efforts amid the Gaza conflict. Smotrich’s beliefs are rooted in religious Zionism, with significant influence from Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook, promoting the view that Israeli settlement of Palestinian areas is divinely sanctioned.
