Smotrich announces plans to eliminate Green Line by expanding settlement projects

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich yesterday said the occupation state “will erase the Green Line by advancing agricultural projects,” in reference to the 1949 Armistice Line setup after the 1948 Nakba and establishment of the state of Israel.

Speaking during a tour of farms in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, Smotrich added that “Israel aims to halt Palestinian efforts to expand their illegal control over land in the West Bank.”

“West Bank farms are a strategic goal for preserving the land and preventing its seizure,” he explained.

He highlighted his efforts to provide them financial support for the first time through the Ministry of Agriculture, similar to that offered to farmers in other parts of Israel.

“For many years, agriculture in Judea and Samaria [the occupied West Bank] has been treated as ‘second-tier,’ and farmers in the region have faced persistent discrimination,” he said, adding: “Our government is correcting this historical injustice and strengthening agriculture.”

He emphasised that “our policy aims to preserve land reserves, create a secure and strategic territorial continuity, and curb Palestinian efforts to expand their illegal control over land in the area.”

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