Indonesia Writes to Board of Peace over Israel's Efforts to Annex West Bank
Israel is planning to forcibly seize control of the West Bank. The Indonesian government has stated it has taken a position on the situation by writing to the Board of Peace (BoP).
“We are speaking out, we have sent a letter to the BoP — not a condemnation, but expressing our concern over the situation there, and what kind of situation we want so that everything proceeds in line with the peace proposal,” said Foreign Minister Sugiono during a press briefing in Washington DC on Friday (20 February 2026) local time.
Previously, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich once again courted controversy by stating he would pursue policies that “encourage migration” of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Smotrich, a right-wing figure, is one of the key individuals behind the Israeli government’s recent controversial decision to approve a proposal to register most land in the West Bank as “state property” if Palestinians cannot prove ownership.
The controversial statement, as reported by AFP and The Times of Israel on Wednesday (18 February), was made by Smotrich while speaking at a Religious Zionism Party event held on Tuesday (17 February) evening. He sought to outline what he believed should be the goals of the next Israeli government.
“We will erase the idea of an Arab terror state,” Smotrich declared.
“We will finally officially and practically annul the accursed Oslo Accords and begin the path towards sovereignty, while encouraging migration from Gaza and Judea and Samaria,” he said, using the biblical terms Israel employs to refer to the West Bank.
“There is no other long-term solution,” Smotrich insisted, receiving applause from attendees at the event.
The Oslo Accords refer to two agreements signed in 1993 (Oslo I) and 1995 (Oslo II) between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which established a framework for a two-state solution and autonomous Palestinian governance.
Smotrich’s controversial statement came after the Israeli government drew widespread condemnation for approving a proposal to register most land in the West Bank as “state property” if Palestinians cannot prove ownership.
The controversial proposal, according to Israeli local television network KAN, was submitted by Smotrich together with Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz. Smotrich said on Sunday (15 February) that the measure was a continuation of the “settlement revolution to control all our land”.
Condemnation poured in from numerous countries, with United Nations missions from 85 nations on Tuesday (17 February) collectively denouncing Tel Aviv. The Palestinian Authority also reacted strongly, warning that Israel’s move amounted to “de facto annexation” and a violation of international law.