Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said that his team will “encourage” the migration of Palestinians from the West Bank after the next set of Israeli elections.
He made the statement on Tuesday at an event held by his far-right Religious Zionism party with local settlement leaders, where he listed what he believes should be the goals of the next government.
One of these is to scrap the 1990s-era Oslo Accords, which establish the lawful rights of Palestinian governance in much of the area. Smotrich wants to extend Israeli “sovereignty” to the entire West Bank, effectively absorbing the territory into Israel.
He said: “Destroy the idea of an Arab terror state; finally, formally and practically cancel the cursed Oslo Accords and get on the path of sovereignty, while encouraging migration both from Gaza and the [West Bank].
“There is no other long-term solution.”
Smotrich has previously faced condemnation within Israel for his rhetoric regarding the West Bank.
For example, in 2023, Opposition Leader Yair Lapid claimed Smotrich had voiced “incitement to a war crime” after the far-right minister called for a Palestinian town to be “wiped out” (Smotrich later apologised for the comments).
The finance minister was also criticised for rejecting the prospect of normalisation with Saudi Arabia in October, saying: “Keep riding camels in the desert”.
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz said at the time that the remark “indicated ignorance and a lack of internalisation of his responsibility as a senior minister in the government and cabinet”. Again, Smotrich later apologised, accepting that his comments were “inappropriate”.
The news comes after Israel’s security cabinet approved a raft of measures earlier this month to accelerate settlement development in the West Bank, including the repeal of a law preventing sales of land in the territory to non-Muslims.
The move, pushed by Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz, is intended to “allow Jews to purchase land in [the West Bank] just as they purchase [land] in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem”, according to the pair’s joint statement.
Under the plan, the land registry in the West Bank, which until now has been classified, will be open to the public, meaning that potential buyers in Israel will be able to approach landowners with a view to purchasing real estate.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on Israel to reverse the land registration policy, calling it “destabilising” and “unlawful”.
To get more Israel news, click here to sign up for our free Israel Briefing newsletter.