Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has renewed calls for the full annexation of the occupied West Bank, declaring 2025 the so-called “Year of Sovereignty.” He boasted that any Israeli leader who implements this plan “will go down in history,” while insisting no Palestinian state would ever be permitted.

Smotrich further threatened to dismantle the Palestinian Authority should it resist, framing the move as a decisive “turning point” for Israel. He also claimed Washington quietly supports this direction, citing political shifts in the United States that embolden such positions.

The Palestinian Authority condemned his remarks as an open declaration of annexation, warning they represent a flagrant violation of international law and an attempt to erase Palestinian self-determination. A spokesperson held both the Israeli occupation and the U.S. administration fully responsible for the dangerous consequences of these policies.