Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich

Varying degrees of silence over colonialism and annexation

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Israeli far-right groups supporting the expansion of control over Palestinian territories gather at a site housing an Israeli military monument about one kilometer from the Gaza Strip border, calling for an event in Gaza during the Jewish holiday of Passover and repeating demands for further land appropriation, in Israel on April 07, 2026. [Enes Canlı – Anadolu Agency]

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of a settlement in Benjamin, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that Israel will expand in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, widening its non-existent borders. The comments are the latest in a series of threats made by Smotrich in which bombing on a scale similar to that in Gaza is being promoted as the step for land appropriation.

The international community cannot say it wasn’t warned after Smotrich’s detailed explanation of colonial expansion in the region. Expanding Israel’s borders is repeatedly asserted. Yet not one single leader has linked Israel’s military and political strategies to implementing the Zionist concept of Greater Israel.

One example of tacit silence was reported by Sydney Criminal Lawyers, who noted that Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s statement on 9 April 2026 spoke of humanitarian concerns and not of Israel’s colonial expansion.

From alleged safety from terror as in the case of Gaza, to buffer zones in Lebanon, Israel is repeating its security narrative in different scenarios to maintain a normalised perception of colonialism – a colonialism that is concealed by the international community’s silence.

Israel’s refusal to define its borders was never truly opposed by the international community. Since the 1948 Nakba, Israel colonial expansion was normalised. The only step the international community committed to was declaring settlements post-1967 illegal. The differentiation failed to stop Israel from expanding further into Palestinian territory and it had a precedent to fall on – the 1948 Nakba defying the 1947 UN Partition Plan.

READ: In Israel’s colonial ethnic cleansing, the world fails stand for decolonisation

In 1937, David Ben Gurion stated, “We shall accept a state in the boundaries fixed today, but the boundaries of Zionist aspirations are the concern of the Jewish people and no external factor will be able to limit them.” Even before Israel’s establishment, Zionism was declaring impunity for the future colonial enterprise. The UN, founded by former colonial powers, found no reason to oppose the Zionist ideology. In fact, the 1947 Partition Plan granted Jewish settlers 56 per cent of Palestinian land.

What Smotrich is declaring today reflects Ben Gurion’s vision of Greater Israel. The international community prefers to eliminate historical references to the earlier Zionist aspirations of annexing South Lebanon, for example, which is what Smotrich is partly inciting for.

The EU is back to considering sanctions – the key word being ‘considering’, not implementing. Spain, the most vocal in Europe in condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza, has called for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Yet, EU silence over colonialism and annexation remains the norm. Choosing parts of Israel’s security narrative is another EU tactic – disarming Hezbollah is amplified, as is urging Israel to restrain its bombing to Hezbollah targets. However, warning against annexation, which is the mildest the EU can do with regard to Israel’s colonial expansion in the region, is a perfunctory performance.

History provides a clear picture of what Israel seeks to achieve. A referenced plan from decades ago is being ignored in favour of fragmented rhetoric on security concerns and humanitarian aid. There is no real fall out between Israel and the international community, but a repetitive silence regarding colonialism and annexation.

READ: Separating land from the people supports Israel’s colonial expansion

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.

Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ...
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone …

Continue ReadingVarying degrees of silence over colonialism and annexation

As Iran war rages, Netanyahu builds ‘Greater Israel’ from Palestinian and Lebanese land

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Original article by J.E. Rosenberg republished from People’s World under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu points to his map of ‘the New Middle East’ during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 22, 2023. | Richard Drew / AP

As the U.S.- Israeli wars across West Asia widen, a clearer picture is emerging of Israel’s long-term strategic and ideological objectives, and they go far beyond claims of “security” or “self-defense.”

This week, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made that reality explicit. Speaking publicly amid Israel’s escalating assault on Lebanon, he declared that Israel’s northern border “must be the Litani River,” calling for the outright conquest and annexation of southern Lebanon.

This is not fringe rhetoric. It is a statement from a senior cabinet minister, and one that aligns with military actions already underway on the ground.

Israeli forces are not merely striking Hezbollah positions. They are systematically reshaping southern Lebanon: Vital [b]ridges over the Litani River have been destroyed, cutting off civilian movement and isolating the south from the rest of Lebanon. Entire villages are being leveled and depopulated, as the Israeli government calls for the demolition of homes and other civilian infrastructure. This has led to over a million Lebanese already being displaced.

Rather than taking temporary battlefield measures, the Israeli army is putting in place the material preconditions for territorial reorganization.

Military planners and political leaders are increasingly aligned around the idea of a permanent “buffer zone” south of the Litani. Such language has historically often preceded de facto annexation, and Smotrich’s statement removes any ambiguity. The goal is a permanently expanded Israel.

What is now unfolding in Lebanon follows the pattern already visible in Gaza. Israeli officials and lawmakers have repeatedly called for the resettlement of Gaza by Israeli settlers and the absorption of large portions of its territory into Israel. Many in Israeli leadership have even called for the depopulation of Gaza to build a Jewish majority in the territory. The destruction of entire cities like Rafah and Beit Hanoun has already emptied former population centers of their residents.

In Lebanon, Israeli leaders are explicitly invoking this precedent. Government figures have urged applying the “Gaza model” to southern Lebanon, meaning the destruction of villages, displacing populations, and then redefining control on the ground.

Gaza and Lebanon are thus not two separate wars; they are two avenues in pursuit of the same strategy. While bombs fall in Gaza and Lebanon, the West Bank is undergoing its own transformation. Israeli settler violence, mass expulsions, and military raids have intensified alongside open political calls to formally annex that territory, as well. Entire Palestinian communities are being pushed off their land, often under direct protection of the Israeli military.

There is no large-scale bombardment as in Gaza and Lebanon, but the goal of removing the population and normalizing such actions remains the same.

At the same time, Israel has expanded its military operations deeper into Syria, targeting Iranian-linked infrastructure and asserting “freedom of action” across the country. Just this week, Israeli forces entered the Syrian city of Qunetra, set up road blocks, and arrested residents, as if Israel already had legal jurisdiction over this Syrian city.

These strikes are being framed as preemptive defense, but taken together with operations in Gaza and Lebanon, they reflect a broader doctrine. Israel is showing it intends to reshape the entire region through force, regardless of sovereignty.

The messianic vision of a Greater Israel

What ties these fronts together is not simply conflict with Hamas, Hezbollah, or Iran. It is a coherent territorial and political project known as The Greater Israel Project. Proponents of this idea have long called for Israel to expand its borders south into Egypt and northward and westward to the Euphrates River. Their claim is based on Biblical passages that say God promised these lands to Abraham’s descendants.

While this idea was once rightfully scene as fringe, religious fanaticism, it has become increasingly mainstream. U.S. Ambassador to Israel and famed Chritisan Zionist Mike Huckabee recently endorsed such a vision during an interview with Tucker Carlson. Even the supposed secular and “liberal” leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, said he supported the idea of expanding Israel to match the biblical description.

What’s happening on the ground shows that such talk is not simply empty rhetoric for religious constituents but a plan being put into action. Smotrich’s statement is significant not because it is shocking, but because it is consistent. It articulates openly what Israeli policy has been implementing incrementally: the use of war to redraw borders and reshape demographics across the region.

These wars by Israel are materially enabled and politically shielded by the United States. The current escalation—particularly the joint U.S.-Israeli war against Iran—has created the conditions under which these expansionist, fanatical aims can be pursued under the cover of a broader regional conflict.

The Trump administration continues to frame these actions as part of a defensive alliance, but the outcome on the ground expanding war, mass displacement, and the steady erosion of national sovereignty across multiple countries.

The danger of the current moment lies in its normalization. Greater Israel was once an idea the fascist right wing carefully whispered about only among like-minded people. Today, it has become official policy of the Israeli government, with the backing of the United States.

The question is no longer whether such plans exist. It is whether they will be allowed to proceed unchallenged. If the Litani River becomes Israel’s new northern border, it will not be the end of the process. From there, history suggests, the map will not stop changing.

As with all op-eds and news analytical articles published by People’s World, the views expressed here are those of the author.

J.E. Rosenberg grew up in an extremist, religious Zionist household in the U.S. After moving to Israel as a young adult, he changed his world views. He left Israel and is now a member of the Communist Party.

Original article by J.E. Rosenberg republished from People’s World under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel's criminal war for Israel's genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said "I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it's easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel's genocidal expansion.
Donald Trump warns against following the https://onaquietday.org blog, says that it’s easy atm, she only needs to report war crimes supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner are called evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump,
Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner are called
evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Continue ReadingAs Iran war rages, Netanyahu builds ‘Greater Israel’ from Palestinian and Lebanese land

‘Of Course’: IDF Drops Case Against Soldiers Accused of Raping Palestinian Prisoner

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Original article by Brett Wilkins republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Palestinians imprisoned at Sde Teiman are shackled and blindfolded 24 hours a day and are forced to sit still and silent in painful positions for hours on end. (Photo by whistleblower via Quds News Network)

“Israel’s military attorney general just gave his soldiers license to rape—so long as the victim is Palestinian,” said one Israeli rights group.

The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday dismissed the indictments of five soldiers accused of raping a Palestinian prisoner at the notorious Sde Teiman prison in July 2024—an attack that sparked worldwide outrage.

The IDF spokesperson’s office said the decision to drop the indictments of five reserve members of Force 100—a special unit of the military police responsible for guarding and controlling high-risk detainees—“was made following an examination of all the considerations, evidence, and relevant circumstances.”

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“Among the factors taken into account were the complexity of the evidentiary basis in the case and the implications of the release of the security detainee to the Gaza Strip, which created significant consequences for the evidentiary aspect of the case,” the office added. “These developments created exceptional circumstances that affect the ability to continue the criminal proceedings while preserving the right of the defendants to a fair trial.”

The dismissal of the indictments, according to The Jerusalem Post, does not mean the soldiers have been exonerated.

The five soldiers were caught on video assaulting a Palestinian prisoner at Sde Teiman on July 5, 2024. Although they used riot shields in a bid to conceal the nearly 15-minute attack, medical reports cited in the case show the victim suffered serious rectal injuries requiring surgery, a ruptured bowel, punctured lung, and fractured ribs. An Israeli medical staffer said that the victim arrived at the hospital in critical condition.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza—welcomed the dismissal of the indictments, which he said had “damaged Israel’s reputation in the world in an unprecedented manner.”

Israeli President Israel Katz raised eyebrows by asserting that “the role of the IDF’s legal system is to protect and safeguard IDF soldiers who engage heroically in war against cruel monsters, and not the rights of the terrorists of Hamas.”

Netanyahu and Katz both called the prosecution of the Sde Teiman reservists a “blood libel.”

The Defense Minister of Israel says it was "blood libel" to go after Israeli soldiers caught on camera raping a Palestinian.

— Prem Thakker ツ (@premthakker.bsky.social) 2026-03-12T16:24:09.323Z

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich similarly welcomed the dismissals, declaring that “now all that’s left is to ensure that the ousted military advocate general stands trial.”

Smotrich was referring to Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who admitted last year to authorizing the leak of the Sde Teiman assault video in order to “confront the false propaganda against the law enforcement officials in the military” by those who denied the allegations against the soldiers.

Human rights groups and others condemned the decision to kill the case, with the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) posting on social media that “Israel’s military attorney general granted his soldiers a rape license—as long as the victim was Palestinian.”

PCATI said that dismissing the indictments “adds to a long series of decisions and actions taken by the army… which cover up the violent violations that have occurred in Israeli prisons and detention facilities Increasingly since October 7, 2023.”

Contrasting the failure to hold the reservists accountable with the draconian prison sentences given to Palestinians who resist Israel’s illegal occupation, US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said on Bluesky: “Just so that we are clear, Israel drops criminal charges on five Israeli soldiers who were caught on camera sexually assaulting a Palestinian detainee. But Israel will keep kids in prison for decades because they were throwing rocks? Make it make sense.”

Canadian journalist Justin Ling said that “the abuse inflicted on Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman prison—including the murder of a Palestinian doctor—was inhumane.”

“This one case, brought because the abuse was *caught on camera*, was a small sign that rule of law in Israel still worked,” he added. “The Israeli government has dropped the case.”

Israeli-American academic Shaiel Ben-Ephraim also noted the strength of the case, including the video footage of the assault.

“They had witness testimony,” he added. “It was a slam-dunk case. Guards I talked to in Sde Teiman said this case was just the tip of the iceberg. And now they are dropping the charges. Of course.”

Former Palestinian prisoners, IDF soldiers, and Israeli medical professionals have all said they witnessed torture and other abuse of detainees at Sde Teiman and other facilities. Victims ranged in age from children to the elderly.

According to an analysis by Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, at least 98 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons and military detention centers during the war. Many bodies of former Palestinian prisoners returned by Israel have shown signs of torture, execution, and mutilation.

The IDF has announced investigations into the deaths of dozens of Palestinian prisoners in its custody during the genocidal war on Gaza launched after the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023.

Nine Israeli soldiers were initially arrested in connection with the recorded Sde Teiman assault. Five of them were indicted in February 2025.

While many Israelis condemned the alleged rape of the Sde Teiman prisoner, others rallied around the accused soldiers—especially on the far right. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir hailed the reservists as “our best heroes.” Smotrich called them “heroic warriors.”

Smotrich and others demanded an investigation into the video showing the attack—not in order to seek justice for the victim, but rather to find out who leaked the damning footage.

The soldiers’ arrests outraged many on the Israeli right. At least one Cabinet member and several members of the Knesset, Israel’s legislative body, joined a mob that in August 2024 stormed two military bases where they believed the arrested suspects were being held.

Other Israelis, including journaist Yehuda Schlesinger, called for legalizing the torture of Palestinian prisoners, because “they deserve it,” and “it’s great revenge.”

Last year, Israel blocked a request from United Nations sex crimes experts to probe alleged sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas fighters during the October 7, 2023 attack, reportedly to avoid attendant scrutiny of rapes and other abuses allegedly committed by Israeli forces against imprisoned Palestinians.

Original article by Brett Wilkins republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Donald Trump explains why he established his Bored of Peace
Donald Trump explains why he established his Bored of Peace
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue Reading‘Of Course’: IDF Drops Case Against Soldiers Accused of Raping Palestinian Prisoner