Americans for Peace Now (APN) welcomes news that the Biden administration has warned the newly- elected government of Israel against transferring civilian authorities in the occupied West Bank to far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, clarifying that it would regard such a move as a step toward annexation.

In recent meetings with senior administration officials, APN asked the Biden administration to do just that. If the report by Israeli diplomatic correspondent Barak Ravid is correct, then this is a significant and praiseworthy move by the administration.

APN’s President and CEO Hadar Susskind said: “Smotrich has publicly declared that his goal is to advance annexation of the West Bank, a direct conflict with US policy. Annexation undermines the prospects of a negotiated peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians and makes even the notion of the US goal of a two-state solution impossible. We urge the US government – administration and Congress – to do everything in its power to deter Israeli government practices that would slam the door on future peace.”