Israeli hardliners to get settlements post
Israel’s designated prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced a coalition deal that will give a hardline, pro-settler party control over a number of key government ministries and a senior role in overseeing the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Israeli right-wing Knesset member Itamar Ben Gvir, left, and Bezalel Smotrich look on during the swearing-in ceremony for Israeli lawmakers at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, in Jerusalem, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. Photo: Abir Sultan/AP
The agreement with the Religious Zionism party marked an important breakthrough for Netanyahu as he tries to cobble together a government following November 1 elections.
But it also could set the stage for conflict with key allies, first and foremost the United States.
Netanyahu’s Likud Party said that Religious Zionism would share control over the finance ministry, run the government ministry in charge of immigration and head a new ministry for “national missions”.
It said a party member would also hold a special ministerial-level post in the defence ministry in charge of settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, in coordination with Netanyahu.
“This is a significant additional step that nears us toward the formation of a right-wing, national government,” Netanyahu said.
The deal also gives Religious Zionism control of a parliamentary committee expected to approve sweeping reforms in the country’s legal system.
These are expected to include changes that could freeze or dismiss criminal charges against Netanyahu.
Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionism party, called the deal a “historic step”.
He said the emerging government would “restore security and governance, promote historic reform in the legal system, regulate and develop the settlement enterprise, strengthen Jewish identity in the spirit of religious Zionism and proudly wave the flag of Zionism”.
Smotrich is a leader of the West Bank settlement movement and is seeking a massive increase in the construction of Jewish housing in occupied territories claimed by the Palestinians for their future state.
The international community, including the US, overwhelmingly considers settlement construction illegal or illegitimate.
Netanyahu and his hardline allies captured a majority of seats in the November 1 parliamentary elections, putting him in a position to form a new government.
He has reached deals with two other hardline religious factions.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, an extremist politician known for his anti-Arab rhetoric and provocative stunts, will be the national security minister and oversee the country’s police force.
And Avi Maoz, known for his anti-LGBTQ views and disparaging remarks about non-Orthodox Jews, will be in charge of “Jewish identity”.
Netanyahu will now turn his attention to a pair of ultra-Orthodox parties as he seeks to complete the formation of his coalition government.
Netanyahu has until midnight on December 11 to form a government, although he can seek an additional two weeks from the country’s ceremonial president.
AAP
I don’t know whether Liat has visited Israel recently – if she had she would surely not be speaking this way. Israel has voted for a strong government which will enhance security for a very good reason. Is it right that during a recent visit my wife should feel nervous sitting on a station platform in Beersheva because of stabbing and vehicle-ramming attacks against Jews that had taken place in that mixed-population city recently? And Beersheva is well within the Green Line! Israeli Jews and indeed all her citizens need to feel secure. A strong, security-minded government will ensure that. It is a pity that Liat feels she has to “defend” the right of Jews to feel safe within their own country!
This is all very, very bad for Israel. Netanyahu, who has done so much good in previous years of governance, is paving the way for a State so changed in so many fundamental ways that it will hardly be recognisable. Shame on him.
If all of these changes come to fruition, it will be harder to defend Israel internationally, harder to maintain automatic pride in it as a State, and most probably see a decrease in the number of Jews who want to make aliyah.
I can only hope that Israelis in the main rail against these planned changes. It’s a terrible thing to have the likes of Maoz in the role he’s been given, and MKs like Ben Gvir and Smotrich, tainted as they are already with their previous activities, Deri Aryeh with a criminal record … all given prominent roles in government. In most democratic governments it wouldn’t be allowed, wouldn’t be acceptable at all.