Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Thursday that Israel will not consider annexing areas of the West Bank currently under Palestinian Authority control, but is weighing whether to extend Israeli law to settlements in response to the wave of Western countries recognizing a Palestinian state.

The suggestion was one of a few to emerge this week as a string of Western nations announced that they would recognize the state of Palestine, against Israeli wishes. Separately, Israeli security officials have suggested sanctioning leaders of the Palestinian Authority, limiting their freedom of movement and the goods they can obtain from abroad.

Speaking to the Italian Corriere Della Sera daily, Sa’ar said, “There is no intention of even discussing the annexation of Palestinian Authority territories because we don’t want to control the Palestinians.”

“What can be discussed, but hasn’t yet been decided, is implementing Israeli law on the Israeli communities located there and not under the Palestinian Authority,” he explained.

The discussions will take place once Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns from Washington next week.

In accordance with the Oslo Accords from the 1990s, some parts of the West Bank are under the control of the Palestinian Authority, while others are under Israeli control — though not under Israeli sovereignty — and still others are under PA administrative control and Israeli security control.

Senior officials in the security establishment are recommending that Jerusalem impose sanctions on Palestinian Authority leaders as a response to Palestinian state recognition, Army Radio reported.

The proposed objects of sanctions reportedly include PA President Mahmoud Abbas and PA Vice President Hussein........

© The Times of Israel