Smotrich: My life's mission is to build the Land of Israel and thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Monday that his life's mission is to thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state, adding that his mission "is not political, it is national and existential."

The leader of the far-right Religious Zionism party said via the X platform: “My life’s mission is to build the Land of Israel and thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger the State of Israel,” he claimed.

He explained that "this is why I took upon myself, in addition to the position of Finance Minister, responsibility for civil issues in Judea and Samaria," meaning the occupied West Bank.

In addition to his position as finance minister, Smotrich is a defense minister responsible for settlement affairs in the West Bank.

Referring to the settlers in the West Bank, he said: "I will continue to work with all my might so that the half a million settlers who are on the front line and under fire enjoy the rights of every citizen in Israel," without elaborating.

The number of settlers in the West Bank is estimated at more than half a million, in addition to more than 230,000 settlers in occupied East Jerusalem.

Smotrich opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, supports settlement in the West Bank, and supports the annexation of West Bank lands to Israel.

The United Nations considers settlements in the occupied territories illegal, says they undermine the chances of implementing the two-state solution (Palestinian alongside Israeli), and has been calling in vain for decades to stop them.

For decades, Palestinians have been demanding an end to the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

In parallel with its war on the Gaza Strip since October 7, the Israeli occupation army expanded its operations and settlers escalated their attacks in the West Bank, resulting in the martyrdom of 692 Palestinians, the injury of about 5,700, and the arrest of more than 10,400, according to official Palestinian institutions.