Is Smotrich leading a de facto annexation? Journalist sounds alarm 

In a recent column for Yediot Aharonot, commentator Nahum Barnea criticized Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, claiming he has effectively taken over the civilian administration of Judea and Samaria.

"In the twenty months of this government's rule, Smotrich has initiated a revolution in the situation for both Jews and Palestinians in the West Bank," Barnea wrote. "The headlines focus on terrorism or IDF operations, but the real, historic change is happening quietly in air-conditioned offices, creating an irreversible reality on the ground."

Barnea noted that Smotrich has established a "second department" within the Ministry of Defense. "On the fifteenth floor of the ministry, above the office of the defense minister, Smotrich has set up his own empire. Its chief of staff, Hillel Roth, is a personal political appointee, now overseeing civil affairs in the West Bank. In every practical sense, he is the ruler of the West Bank."

Barnea further argued that Smotrich is using the "municipalization of services" to remove the military's influence and carry out "de facto annexation." While Barnea clarified that he is not opposed to annexation itself, he expressed concern, stating, "As long as everyone enjoys equal rights and opportunities, I would have no issue. But that is not the case."