Israeli 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.
“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.
Israel’s settlements in the occupied West Bank are illegal under international law. Advocates of a two-state solution earmark the territory as the heartland of a feature Palestinian state.
