FM Smotrich calls for 'canceling the Oslo Accords,' emigration

Religious Zionist Party Chairman and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Tuesday that he aims to cancel the Oslo Accords and advance Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank while encouraging emigration from the region and from Gaza. He made the remarks at a special conference with the leadership of the West Bank settlements.

“I present here, now, to you, one of our goals for the next term: eliminating the idea of the Arab terrorist state, canceling the cursed Oslo Accords, and embarking on the path of sovereignty. While encouraging emigration in Gaza and also in Judea and Samaria,” Smotrich said. He added, “In the long term, there is no other solution.”

Smotrich’s comments outline a political objective for the next term, focusing on reshaping Israel’s policy toward the Palestinians and the region. His remarks center on rejecting the framework established by the Oslo Accords and promoting Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank.

The Oslo Accords, signed in the 1990s between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, created the Palestinian Authority and established interim arrangements in the West Bank and Gaza. The framework has long been the basis for international diplomatic efforts toward a two-state solution.

Smotrich has previously voiced opposition to Palestinian statehood and support for expanding Israeli control in the West Bank. His latest remarks reiterate that position and place it as a stated goal for a future term in office.

The comments come amid ongoing political debate in Israel over the future of the region and the direction of government policy. No immediate policy changes were announced at the conference.