Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Wednesday highlighted his government’s expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, describing the approval of new settlements as the fulfillment of campaign promises.
In a post on the social media platform X, Smotrich wrote: “The construction of 104 new settlements is just some of the promises fulfilled.”
He added: “As I promised, we are proceeding with the establishment of new settlements,” arguing that they serve as “a protective wall” for Israeli cities including Ra’anana, Tel Aviv, Givatayim, and Jerusalem.
On 15th July, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved the establishment of a new settlement in the West Bank. At the time, Smotrich said that since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government took office in late 2022, it had approved the establishment of 104 settlements and 160 settlement outposts in the territory.
His latest remarks come as Israel prepares for general elections scheduled for 27th October.
