In contacts with his partners to finalize the formation of the government, Beniamin Netanyahu agreed with the extremist deputy Itamar Ben Gvir (Religious Zionism) a package of measures to regularize dozens of Jewish colonies in the West Bank.
Bibi and her allies intend to advance laws for the legalization of some 65 “wild colonies” promoted by radical youth – usually on private Palestinian land – and considered illegal under Israeli law. The pre-agreement foresees changing its status during the first 60 days of action of the new government.
In addition, the "Disconnection Law" of 2005 will be reversed, which involved the dismantling of the Jewish colonies in the Gaza Strip, and four others in the north of the West Bank. In Homesh, one of the evacuated sites, groups of settlers have spent years trying to refound a yeshiva (religious study center), with the aim of recovering the land. The new legislation could give the green light for the return of settlers to the northern West Bank, an area with little Jewish presence.
Route 60 - the main artery that crosses the West Bank from north to south - will also be expanded, used by Israeli and Palestinian vehicles; and dozens of secondary routes connecting the settlements, used only by Jews, will be paved. Finally, it is intended to reduce the penalties for "agricultural crimes", referring to acts of vandalism suffered by Palestinian farmers. A future parliamentary aide from Ben Gvir's formation was recently recorded stealing and vandalizing equipment on an Arab-owned plot.
To implement the measures will require approval in the Knesset, where the coalition has a majority of 64 seats (out of 120).
In parallel, the struggles for the distribution of portfolios continue. Ben Gvir has publicly demanded to be minister of Internal Security (police), an option that terrifies Israel's Western allies. The incendiary deputy was charged in court for supporting a terrorist group or inciting racism.
The Israeli press highlights the strategy of Netanyahu, who is handling contacts separately with the two heads of the extreme right list. Apparently, he would have closed the preliminary agreements only with Ben Gvir, leader of the Jewish Power faction, integrated into Religious Zionism.
In this way, Bibi seeks to reduce the claims of Betzalel Smotrich, number one in the extremist coalition. Smotrich insists on occupying portfolios such as Defense or Finance, something that he does not like in the ranks of the Likud. From Washington, they are pressing to prevent him from becoming the top political officer in the army.
Likud partners are also calling for a drastic reform of the judicial system, to allow the overthrow of Supreme Court rulings by parliamentary majorities. More than 100 Israeli academics published a letter warning of the risk that the measure would entail, since judges would not be able to intervene in laws approved by the Knesset.
After the comfortable victory of the right, national-messianic ecstasy was unleashed, but "Bibi" is aware of the external risks she faces. Despite his tough rhetoric, Netanyahu showed the more pragmatic side of him at decisive moments, such as scrapping plans to unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank in exchange for normalizing relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
"As a seasoned politician, Netanyahu understands that a government with Smotrich and Ben Gvir in charge of security will be poorly received in Washington, Cairo, Amman, Rabat, Abu Dhabi and Europe, and will immediately lead to trouble," Ephraim Ganor opined at the conservative rotary Maariv. And he predicted: “The whims of Religious Zionism and the ultra-orthodox will complicate its continuity. Just as the previous government fell due to ideological differences, this coalition will also enter into crisis sooner than expected.
