Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disclosed that on June 16 he had proposed to the Security Cabinet to build many more illegal settlements in the West Bank, in part as punishment for nations that have recognized the State of Palestine. Netanyahu’s office released a statement on June 17 announcing that “The Security Cabinet discussed steps to strengthen settlement in Judea and Samaria, including in response to the countries that unilaterally recognized a Palestinian state after October 7, as well as a series of responses against the Palestinian Authority following its actions against Israel in international bodies.” According to the Times of Israel, the measures would also be a reaction to the Palestinian Authority’s hostile moves against Israel in international forums, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.”
The PMO statement concluded: “The Defense Minister and the Attorney General requested additional time to comment on several of the proposed clauses. The Prime Minister instructed that all of the proposals be submitted to a vote at the next Security Cabinet meeting.” More than a few Israeli officials have been caught off-guard by Netanyahu’s flight forward. After discussing the proposal in the War Cabinet on June 16, Netanyahu dissolved the War Cabinet the next day.
The statement would appear to indicate that Netanyahu is more openly embracing the policies of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who last month suggested: “Israel should approve 10,000 settlements in the West Bank, establish a new settlement for every country that recognizes a state of Palestine. And cancel travel permits for Palestinian Authority officials.” Smotrich’s more recent threat is that Israel’s military would turn the West Bank into “ruined cities like in the Gaza Strip.”
Thus far, this year, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas, Ireland, Norway, Spain, and Slovenia have recognized Palestinian statehood.
Netanyahu’s rage is like that in the Biblical story, cited by Netanyahu, to kill every person of Amalek. He will employ it as retributive justice against any nation that attempts to halt Israeli genocide and its takeover of Palestine.
The TOI reported that Netanyahu ordered all the proposals to be brought for a vote at the next meeting of the full cabinet, scheduled for June 23.
