Several members of the Israeli government have joined a far-right conference calling for resettlement from the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
The conference, organized Sunday evening by the right-wing organization Nahala and titled “Settlements Bring Security and Victory,” called for the construction of new Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories. The call from politicians and activists gathered in occupied East Jerusalem came amid international pressure on Israel to confirm that it would respect the Palestinian state after the end of its war on Gaza.
Israel withdrew its army and settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005 after 38 years of occupation. Debate is ongoing over who will rule the enclave after the end of the war that began after Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel did not intend to maintain a permanent presence again, but insisted Israel would maintain security control for an indefinite period.
Israel’s international partners, led by the United States, have said a two-state solution is the only way to guarantee the security of both sides. Netanyahu, facing significant political pressure, is resisting, even though he has not presented a clear plan for what his government envisions for the future.
“No security without relocation”
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that 12 ministers from Netanyahu’s Likud party attended the conference. His far-right coalition partners, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, reiterated their calls for Palestinian withdrawal from Gaza.
Smotrich said many evacuated children returned as soldiers to fight in a war against Hamas. He said he had opposed the government’s decision to evacuate Jewish settlements from Gaza in the past.
“We knew what this was going to lead to and we tried to prevent it,” Smotrich said in a speech. “Without settlements, there is no security. »
The crowd roared with enthusiastic chants to rebuild the settlements.
Ben-Gvir said he had protested the evacuation of Jewish settlements from Gaza and warned that it would lead to “rockets on Sderot” and “rockets on Ashkelon” in southern Israel.
“We shouted and warned,” Ben-Gvir said. “If (we) don’t want another October 7, we have to go home and control the territory.”
“There is no way to win this war without the reconstruction of Gush Katif and the Gaza Strip. It should flourish with Jewish villages and towns,” former Knesset member Moshe Feiglin said at the conference.
“This is the only way to win this bloody war. And Israel cannot afford not to win this war,” he added.
Some Israeli politicians condemned the meeting and the participation of government ministers.
Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief of staff and current member of the Knesset and Netanyahu’s war cabinet, said the meeting would “deepen divisions over what brings us together” at a time when Israeli soldiers “are fighting side by side in a war with unprecedented justification.”
Education Minister Yoav Kisch told Israeli Army Radio that the timing of the conference was wrong. “It’s not right to start this conversation now,” he said. “We must focus the discourse on the unity of our troops. »
‘Ethnic cleansing’
Jewish settlements that have spread across the occupied West Bank are classified as illegal by international law and humanitarian groups. They are also often the cause of clashes between armed settlers and Palestinians.
Human rights groups and many governments frequently condemn settler gun violence targeting Palestinians.
Israel’s expansionist settlement policy also hinders the envisioned future of a two-state solution.
“At this conference, 12 Israeli ministers participated, including members of Netanyahu’s Likud party. In addition, 15 members of the Israeli Knesset participated, so it’s not a joke,” said Mariam Barghouti, an activist and Palestinian-American researcher, at Tel Aviv Tribune. .
“These are the ones who decide policy in Israel, and they are the ones who call for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, the complete ethnic cleansing of the people of Gaza. »
The Palestinian Authority (PA) condemned the conference, saying it reflects the tendencies of the Israeli right to destabilize the region.
“The Jerusalem settlement meeting constitutes a blatant defiance of the decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accompanied by public incitement to the forced displacement of Palestinians,” the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said in a statement , referring to last week’s ICJ verdict. which called on Israel to prevent “genocide” in Gaza.
Arab States come together
The US news site Axios, citing anonymous sources, reported on Monday that senior national security officials from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority met secretly in Riyadh to discuss post-war Gaza.
The meeting apparently called on the Palestinian Authority to revitalize its political leadership in Gaza, currently ruled by Hamas. The meeting, of which Israel and the United States were reportedly briefed, illustrates growing support among Arab states for a solution centered on the relatively moderate Palestinian Authority taking control after a post-war transition period.
Saudi Arabia’s national security adviser said during the meeting that the kingdom was still interested in moving forward toward normalization with Israel in exchange for steps that would pave the way for a Palestinian state, even if a such a State is not established immediately.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, destroyed large swaths of the enclave and displaced nearly 85 percent of the territory’s population.
The Oct. 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel killed about 1,140 people and the fighters took about 250 prisoners, according to Israel. Around 100 of them were returned as part of a deal with Hamas last November in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
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