Netanyahu vows to annex communities in Judea and Samaria if re-elected

Three days before Israeli elections, the sitting prime minister pledged to annex Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria, where close to half a million Jews live.

By World Israel News Staff and AP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will begin annexing Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria if he is re-elected to a fourth straight term. Such a move would be a departure from Israeli government policy.

Netanyahu made the remarks during an interview with Channel 12 in reference to the recent U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. When he was asked about annexing Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, he said “we’re on the way,” adding that “the next term [in office] will be fateful.”

Close to half a million Jewish Israelis currently live in communities in Judea and Samaria, with town of all sizes growing steadily.

During the Channel 12 interview Netanyahu also appeared to dismiss the prospect of Palestinian statehood, which would “endanger [Israel’s] existence,” reported Times of Israel.

Netanyahu clarified that security control over Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria would not be limited to clusters of towns called “blocs,” but would also extend to isolated settlements.

One day earlier, Netanyahu told Channel 13 he had communicated to U.S. President Donald Trump that he would not evacuate a “single” Israeli from Judea and Samaria as part of a forthcoming “deal of the century” Mideast peace plan, which Trump is expected to release in May following Israel’s April elections.