Bezalel Smotrich — Israeli far-right doctrinal mosaic (Decisive Plan 2017, Huwara 2023, 82%-West-Bank-annexation 2025)

From Bezalel Smotrich (b. 1980, Religious Zionism party chairman, Israeli Finance Minister + Minister in the Defense Ministry over civil administration in the West Bank from 29 Dec 2022 onward):

**2015** (interview, cited in The Intercept 2023):
"The Palestinian Authority is a burden, and Hamas is an asset."

**2017** (Smotrich's "Decisive Plan" paper published in HiShiloh journal, summarized by journalist Ron Ben-Yishai):
The plan foresees flooding "the areas of Judea and Samaria with settlements" so that Palestinians would understand they have no chance for statehood. Smotrich's three-option framework for Palestinians: leave, accept Israeli sovereignty without political rights, or fight (and be defeated).

**March 2023** (Smotrich speaking from a podium displaying a map of "Greater Israel" that included Jordan):
There is "no such thing as a Palestinian people" and Palestinians have no "history or culture." The Palestinian foreign ministry issued formal condemnation.

**February 26, 2023** (after Israeli settler rampage in Huwara, West Bank, following killing of two Israelis by a Palestinian gunman):
"I think the village of Huwara needs to be wiped out. I think the state of Israel should do it."

**September 2025** (interview with The New York Times, in advance of UNGA-80 wave of Palestinian-state recognitions):
Smotrich called for Israel to annex "roughly 82 percent of the West Bank" while the Palestinian Authority could "continue to run their own affairs" locally but "the territory would be ours."