• Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he hoped Israel would extend sovereignty into the occupied West Bank in 2025 and that he would push the government to engage the incoming Trump administration to gain Washington’s support.

• Smotrich, who also wields a defence ministry supervisory role for settlers as part of his coalition deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said he hoped the Trump administration would recognise an Israeli sovereignty push.

• The West Bank is among territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and where Palestinians, with international support, seek statehood. Most world powers deem the settlements illegal. Israel disputes that, citing historical claims to the West Bank and describing it as a security bulwark. 

• The United States has for decades backed a two-State solution between Israel and the Palestinians and has urged Israel not to expand settlements. In 2020, during Trump’s first term, discussions were held between Israel and Washington on plans to annex parts of the West Bank.

What is West Bank?

• The West Bank is a landlocked region located in West Asia, bordered by Israel to the west and Jordan to the east. 

• It contains a significant portion of the western Dead Sea.

Historical Background:

• 1948 Arab-Israeli War: After this war, Jordan captured the West Bank.

• 1967 Six-Day War: Israel seized the West Bank from Jordan, and it has remained under Israeli occupation ever since.

• The West Bank is home to around 2.6 million Palestinians and approximately 130 Israeli settlements.

• It is divided into areas with varying degrees of control, with the Palestinian Authority prohibited from operating in certain parts, such as Masafer Yatta, which constitutes 60 per cent of the territory.

• The Palestinians aspire for the West Bank to form the core of their future independent state, making its political status critical in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Six-Day War (1967):

• The Six-Day War was a short but intense military conflict fought in June 1967 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states (Egypt, Syria, and Jordan). The war lasted from June 5 to June 10.

Territorial Changes:

• Israel captured the Sinai Peninsula and Gaza Strip from Egypt.

• It took control of the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan.

• Israel also seized the Golan Heights from Syria.

Post-War Situation:

• While Israel returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in 1982 as part of a peace treaty, the Golan Heights and West Bank remain contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian and Arab-Israeli peace negotiations.

• The status of these territories continues to be a significant obstacle in resolving the broader Arab-Israeli conflict, despite various peace efforts over the years.

• The International Court of Justice (ICJ) landmark ruling of July 19, 2024 declared that Israel’s occupation of the Gaza strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful, along with the associated settlement regime, annexation and use of natural resources.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)