West Bank: Israel minister says ‘we will build Jewish Israeli state’

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed on Friday to build a “Jewish Israeli state” in the occupied West Bank, a day after the government announced the creation of 22 new settlements in the Palestinian territory.

He 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 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 decisive response to the terrorist organisations that are trying to harm and weaken our hold on this land,” Katz said in a video published by his office.

“It is also 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,” he added.