Israel's attorney general backs 'de facto West Bank annexation' measures, report says

Israel’s attorney general has supported the government’s move this week to extend civil control over the occupied West Bank, a step critics say creates de facto annexation, according to i24News.

The report said Gali Baharav-Miara even backed Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who spearheaded the changes, despite having clashed with him in the past.

During a cabinet meeting on Sunday to approve the measures, Smotrich said: “Some countries may claim this contradicts international law. That is why we consulted the Ministry of Justice, and it is in line with international law.”

Baharav-Miara reportedly reinforced his statement, telling ministers that Smotrich was “correct”.

“All the measures approved in the West Bank align with international law as interpreted by the Ministry of Justice. And if there are claims from foreign actors, we have responses ready,” she added.

According to i24News, ministers were reportedly surprised by Baharav-Miara’s stance. The attorney general has been a controversial figure in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for leading the prosecution during his ongoing corruption trial.

In August, the cabinet voted unanimously to dismiss Baharav-Miara, but the Supreme Court of Israel immediately blocked the decision.

Israel’s new West Bank measures ‘accelerate annexation and end Oslo Accords’

Read More »

The sweeping changes announced on Sunday would expand Israel's civil control in Areas A and B of the West Bank - where all major Palestinian cities and towns are located - that since the Oslo Accords of 1993 have officially been under Palestinian Authority (PA) jurisdiction. 

The measures also make it easier for Jewish Israelis to privately own land in the West Bank, potentially accelerating settlement expansion. 

This is achieved by scrapping a law preventing the sale of Palestinian-owned land to Jewish Israelis, easing sales regulations, and lifting the confidentiality of land registration records - a move that could facilitate forgery of land purchase documents, a tactic commonly used by settlers.

Analysts say the measures will cement de facto annexation and bring an end to the Oslo Accords. 

Several countries have condemned the move and warned Israel against annexing the occupied territories, which is illegal under international law. 

The UK urged Israel to “reverse the decisions immediately”, while the United States reiterated its opposition to annexation.

The move was also condemned by the European Union and the United Nations.

Eight Muslim-majority countries - Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates - also denounced the move, saying it aimed to “impose unlawful Israeli sovereignty” in the West Bank.