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Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz on Friday declared his government’s intention to build a “Jewish Israeli state” in the occupied West Bank, following the announcement of 22 new settlements in the Palestinian territory.

“This is a decisive response to the terrorist organisations that are trying to harm and weaken our hold on this land – and it is also a clear message to (French President Emmanuel) Macron and his associates: they will recognise a Palestinian state on paper – but we will build the Jewish Israeli state here on the ground,” Katz said in a statement from his office, quoted by AFP.

He added, “The paper will be thrown into the trash bin of history, and the State of Israel will flourish and prosper.”

The remarks came during Katz’s visit to the Sa-Nur settlement outpost in the northern West Bank. The area was evacuated in 2005 as part of Israel’s disengagement from Gaza under then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. The United Nations has repeatedly condemned Israeli settlements in the region as illegal under international law. The announcement of the new settlements on Thursday drew sharp international criticism.

Macron Voices Support For Palestinian Statehood Recognition

French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking in Singapore on Friday, reiterated his support for recognising a Palestinian state. “Recognition of a Palestinian state, with certain conditions, is not only a moral duty, but a political necessity,” Macron said, as per AFP.

An international conference aimed at reviving the two-state solution is expected to take place in June at the United Nations headquarters in New York. A diplomat in Paris involved in the preparations told AFP that the event is intended to encourage more nations to recognise a Palestinian state. Macron had said in April that France could move towards recognition in June.

The UK condemned Israel’s move on Thursday, calling it a “deliberate obstacle” to the creation of a Palestinian state. Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s spokesman warned the decision pushes efforts towards a two-state solution “in the wrong direction”.