Israeli far-right ministers call for annexation of West Bank

Israeli cabinet ministers on Sunday urged the annexation of the occupied West Bank in response to Britain, Canada and Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, called for “immediate countermeasures.” Writing on X, he urged “the immediate application of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria,” using Israel’s term for the West Bank, and said Israel must “crush” the internationally-recognized Palestinian Authority.
Ben-Gvir said he would submit a proposal for annexing the West Bank at the next cabinet meeting.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, another far-right coalition partner, also pressed Netanyahu to impose Israeli sovereignty over the territory to “remove the foolish idea of a Palestinian state from the agenda forever.”