Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on the expansion of settlements:

There was a very great divine assistance because during the war, the world's attention was on Gaza and Lebanon, so all in all we were able to do things quietly.

In March we passed a government decision on 34 settlements, and the condemnations we received were roughly what we used to receive in the past for 34 housing units.

When the conflict was in Gaza, they did not deal with the West Bank.

When there is no conflict in Gaza, when there are no pictures of children on Al Jazeera, they look for a conflict in the West Bank.