A post has been circulating on social media claiming that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has published details of the plan to annex and divide the West Bank. It reads: “Smotrich announces part of the plan to annex the West Bank. The West Bank will be divided into 3 sections: the first: Ramallah and Salfit; the second: Bethlehem and Hebron; the third: Jenin, Tubas, Nablus, Tulkarm, and Qalqilya. Bridges and roads will be built specifically for settlements only, and movement between the 3 sections will be by requesting a written permit from the Civil Administration office in each region.”
Kashif verified the information and found it to be fabricated, after thorough search in the Israeli media and Smotrich’s statements, no mention of details of the plan to impose Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank during 2024 were found. However, the claim spread after Smotrich announced on Monday 11/11/2024 that “work has begun towards applying sovereignty in the Judea and Samaria region.”
On 11/11/2024, Smotrich announced during a session of the parliamentary bloc of his party, the “Religious Zionist Party,” that work toward imposing Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank had begun, declaring 2025 the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), “I have instructed the Settlements Administration in the Ministry of Defense and the Civil Administration to begin the professional and comprehensive work of the employees to prepare the necessary infrastructure for implementing sovereignty. Later, I intend to lead a government decision stating that the Israeli government will work against the new administration of President Trump and the international community to implement American sovereignty and recognition.”
He also posted a tweet on X on 11/11/2024, which read: “2025 – the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”
Israeli newspaper Maariv reported on 11/11/2024 that the Minister of Finance in the Israeli occupation government, Bezalel Smotrich, announced imposing sovereignty in the West Bank has begun. The newspaper added: “Smotrich’s announcement of his position in public comes after a period of quiet talks to avoid disturbing President Joe Biden’s administration and not harming Donald Trump’s campaign.”
Imposing Sovereignty in legal Terms
For his part, Rami Saleh from the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center told Kashif that the terms annexation and imposition of sovereignty are similar in practice on the ground, but they differ legally and in the view of international law for each of them.
He added that annexation is a “theft” of neighboring lands, and legally the force that stole these lands resorts to imposing special laws that are different from the laws it uses to treat its citizens. While imposing sovereignty means that the state will impose its sovereignty over a land that it considers to have no owners. Saleh continued that the state that imposes its sovereignty over a certain land imposes its laws that apply to its citizens.
Saleh said that Israel seeks to impose sovereignty over Area C in the West Bank, not to annex it, because it wants Israeli laws to apply to these lands. He added, “The main problem facing Palestinians in the West Bank (whether annexation or sovereignty is imposed) is the occupation’s intention to end the Palestinian (demographic) presence in Area C by displacing them.”
What is Area C
According to the second Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the West Bank was divided into three areas: Area C under Israeli security and administrative sovereignty, Area B under Palestinian administration and Israeli security authority, and Area A under Palestinian administrative and security authority. The Oslo Accords aimed to gradually transfer Areas B and C from Israeli control to Palestinian administration, i.e. Area A.
| Sources of Verification | Sources of Claim |
haaretz maariv bezalelsm Bezalel Smotrich’s account on X Rami Saleh – Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center Palestine Liberation Organization – Negotiations Affairs Department | Dirar J Barham Beit Furik first, we suffered – Jenin Tulkarm is beautiful, my country, Al-Sawiya, our country Falasten Mubasher S Suleiman Buthina CK |