Israeli far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has openly stated his intention to annex the West Bank to Israel. In a meeting with his Religious Zionism party, Smotrich expressed his goal of establishing sovereignty over the occupied territory and preventing the creation of a Palestinian state. This announcement comes shortly after reports revealed that Smotrich and his allies had gained new legal powers to further their annexation efforts. Smotrich emphasized his commitment to "establishing facts on the ground" in order to integrate Judea and Samaria (the Israeli term for the West Bank) into the state of Israel.