Occupied Jerusalem: An Israeli cabinet minister on Monday said Israel could annex more of the West Bank if Palestinians declared statehood without concluding a peace agreement.
"If the Palestinians take such a unilateral line, Israel should also consider ... passing a law to annex some of the colonies," Environment Minister Gilad Erdan, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told Israel Radio.
Without setting a timeframe, Palestinian officials said on Sunday the Palestinians planned to go to the UN Security Council in an effort to secure international support for an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Palestinians attributed the move to frustration at the lack of progress in peace talks, which have been stalled for a year. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said negotiations cannot resume until Israel halts colony expansion.
Erdan, in the radio interview, discussed other sanctions open to Israel.
