Israeli minister's bold West Bank plans surface after Trump's unexpected win

Back in late-16‚ Bezalel Smotrich — a high-ranking member of Benjamin Netanyahuʼs right-wing cabinet made a notable speech that caught everyones attention. The finance minister didnt hold back his thoughts after Donald Trumps win in US elections

In his much-talked about address‚ Smotrich stated that the perfect moment had arrived to push forward with full-scale control over certain West Bank areas (which Israel has kept under its management since the mid-60s). His straight-forward comments showed how Trumpʼs unexpected victory gave a boost to some Israeli decision-makers plans

The finance ministers statement became the most clear-cut sign of how the new US leadership affected Israeli politics: many hard-line politicians felt more confident about their West Bank-related goals. This fresh political climate made some government officials speak up about their long-term territorial ideas — something they hadnʼt done before with such openness