Jordan: Annexation Statements Challenge International Support for Two-State Solution

Kokcha News Agency: Jordan has strongly criticized recent calls for the annexation of the occupied West Bank, describing them as a direct challenge to the international community’s support for a two-state solution.

In a written statement issued by the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government expressed its strong condemnation of the remarks made by Israel’s far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who called for the full annexation of the West Bank, excluding Palestinian cities.

The statement read, “We strongly condemn the hostile and racist statements made by Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, including his calls for the annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories, the prevention of the establishment of a Palestinian state, and his threats against the Palestinian Authority.”

Jordan emphasized that such actions represent a “challenge to the international will supporting a two-state solution.” The statement also highlighted that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territories and warned that the international community’s silence on such violations encourages Israeli officials and fuels the cycle of violence.

Smotrich, known for his support of Israeli settlers who seize Palestinian land, had previously urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex all vacant lands in the West Bank. The areas Smotrich seeks to annex constitute 82% of the West Bank’s total area.