Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat on Wednesday backed calls to extend Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, calling it an opportunity to determine the country’s future for generations.
“This is the time for sovereignty; the time to drive stakes deep into the ground and take advantage of the window of opportunity we now have,” Barkat declared during a visit to the Barkan industrial zone in Samaria.
The minister called on the government to expand Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria and “solidify our presence in all parts of the Land of Israel.”
“The more we act and apply sovereignty in the Judea and Samaria areas, the more we determine, for generations, the future of the State of Israel,” added Barkat, who is a member of the ruling Likud Party.
During the tour of the region with Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, Barkat also spoke about the goals of the war against Hamas in Gaza, including returning the remaining hostages and eliminating the terrorist group, and emphasized the need to defeat Iran’s “axis of evil.”
Dagan thanked Barkat, saying, “Victory is land, victory is ensuring our hold here in Samaria, victory is sovereignty—and sovereignty is victory.”
The Samaria leader also called on the government in Jerusalem “not to miss the historic opportunity to apply sovereignty in the region.”
Last month, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana (Likud Party) issued a similar statement, saying that full control over the Judea and Samaria areas would be the “one and only way” to achieve peace in the region.
“These biblical, original parts of our land, which in the Bible tells the story of our people, are intended for us, for the people of Israel, need to be in the territory of the State of Israel, under the ownership of Israel, under full Israeli sovereignty,” said Ohana during a tour of Samaria’s north with Dagan. “Today, this thing is clearer than ever,” he added.
On Feb. 4, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters in Washington that his administration would likely make an announcement on the possibility of Israel annexing Judea and Samaria in the coming weeks.
“We’re discussing that with many of your representatives. You’re represented very well … [but] we haven’t been taking a position on it yet,” Trump said in remarks during a press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The previous day, Trump said that Israel’s land mass was too small, but declined to say whether he’d support sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.
Fifty-eight percent of Israeli Jews believe that communities in Judea and Samaria contribute to the security of the country, according to a poll the Jewish People Policy Institute published on March 11.
At the same time, nearly 70% of Israelis want Israel to extend its sovereignty over the area, according to a poll conducted on Jan. 29.