During a meeting of his party's faction in the Knesset today, Monday, the head of the Religious Zionism Party and Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, welcomed Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential elections, considering it an opportunity to annex the West Bank to Israel.

Smotrich, who also serves as Minister of Settlement Affairs in the Ministry of Defense, addressed his boycott and refusal to deal with him by the current US administration due to his extremist and fascist positions, and claimed that "after years during which the current administration chose to interfere in Israeli democracy and personally not to cooperate with me as Minister of Finance of the State of Israel, I expect strong joint work from the elected administration in the interest of strengthening economic and trade relations between the two countries."

"Trump's victory brings with it an important opportunity for the State of Israel. We were one step away from imposing sovereignty over the settlements in Judea and Samaria (during Trump's previous term), and now is the time to implement it," he continued.

Smotrich added, "There is now a broad consensus in the coalition and the opposition from all parts of the Knesset to oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state, which would pose a threat to Israel's existence."

He considered that "the year 2025 will be the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. I have instructed the Settlement Directorate in the Ministry of Defense and the Civil Administration to begin a collective, professional and comprehensive effort to prepare the infrastructure required to impose sovereignty."