Israeli defence minister says ‘we will build Jewish Israeli state’ in West Bank

Defence affairs (Jerusalem)

JERUSALEM: Israel’s defence minister vowed on Friday to build a “Jewish Israeli state” in the occupied West Bank, a day after Tel Aviv announced the creation of 22 new settlements in the Palestinian territory.

Israel Katz said the move was a “clear message” to French President Emmanuel Macron, whom Israel’s foreign ministry accused of carrying out a “crusade against the Jewish state”.

Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, seen as a major obstacle to lasting peace, are regularly condemned by the United Nations as illegal under international law, and Thursday’s announcement drew sharp foreign criticism.

“This is a clear message to Macron and his associates: they will recognise a Palestinian state on paper — but we will build the Jewish Israeli state here on the ground,” Katz added.

“The paper will be thrown into the trash bin of history, and the state of Israel will flourish and prosper.”

During a visit to Singapore on Friday, Macron asserted that recognition of a Palestinian state, with some conditions, was “not only a moral duty, but a political necessity”. He also said that European countries should “harden the collective position” against Israel if it does not respond appropriately to the humanitarian situation in Gaza.