Jerusalem: The Al-Bidar Human Rights Organization said that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's decision to evacuate the Khan al-Ahmar Bedouin community east of Jerusalem constitutes a declaration of war against the Palestinian people and a new step in the annexation project aimed at fragmenting the occupied West Bank.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency, the organization stated that Smotrich's remarks represent some of the most extreme and explicit Israeli positions in their political objectives. It emphasized that these statements are not merely reactions to international pressure but reflect a systematic strategy led by the right-wing Israeli government. This strategy aims to undermine the Palestinian presence politically, geographically, and legally while accelerating annexation and displacement policies in the occupied West Bank.
Al-Bidar emphasized that the decision to evacuate Khan al-Ahmar is not an isolated administrative measure but a step with dangerous strategic dimensions, due to the community's location east of Jerusalem in an area linking the northern and southern West Bank. The organization warned that its demolition would contribute to the expansion of settlements in the colonial area known as E1, leading to the geographical fragmentation of the West Bank and undermining the possibility of establishing a contiguous Palestinian state.
It also warned that the continuation of such policies without effective international action could lead to accelerated de facto annexation, the displacement of Palestinian communities, the demise of the two-state solution, and the imposition of a permanent apartheid reality. Al-Bidar called for the adoption of a unified Palestinian strategy, strengthening resilience on the ground, and intensifying legal and diplomatic efforts. They urged for a firm international stance and the imposition of sanctions against officials advocating forced displacement, alongside greater protection for threatened communities.