AMMAN — Benjamin
Netanyahu, the longest-serving prime minister in Israel despite a short stint,
returned to power on Thursday, bringing in what is believed to be Israel’s most
right-wing government yet.
اضافة اعلان
To Jordanian experts,
Netanyahu’s return unveils the extremism of Israel’s government and places the
Hashemite custodianship of Jerusalem at risk.
‘Fascist racism’“The results of the 25th
Knesset showed the transition of Israeli racism to a new phase — fascist
racism,” Political analyst Oraib Al-Rantawi told
Jordan News.
Netanyahu, 73, is
currently fighting corruption allegations in court and was ousted from the
government in 2021 by a coalition of leftists, centrists, and Arab
parties.
However, his return did
not take long. On November 1, he entered talks with extreme-right and
ultra-Orthodox parties to form a government.
In those talks were
Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism formation and Itamar Ben Gvir's Jewish
Power party, both known for harsh anti-Arab rhetoric and for promoting violence
against Palestinians.
“Smotrich and Ben Gvir
have previously called for the expulsion of Arab Palestinians who hold Israeli
citizenship,” Former minister of foreign affairs Marwan Muasher said. “This
coalition represents a degree of apartheid that cannot be denied,” he
added.
Netanyahu’s government
will be “the most right-wing in the history of Israel and the most racist,” he
added.
Bringing the religious
Zionist movement led by Smotrich and Ben Gvir’s Jewish Power party to the
center of political and security decision-making in Israel, “despite the
movements being classified as terrorist even within Israel,” said Rantawi, will
pull the movements from the margins of the Israeli political map to the
center.
Smotrich will head the
Israeli settlement policy in the West Bank, and Ben Gvir will take charge of
the Israeli police, which has also been operating in the illegally occupied territory
since 1967.
On Wednesday,
Netanyahu’s government put West Bank settlement expansion at the top of its
priority list, vowing to legalize dozens of illegally built outposts and annex
the occupied territory as part of its coalition deal with ultranationalist
allies, reported AP.
Netanyahu’s government will be “the most right-wing in the history of Israel and the most racist”.
Israeli violence in the
West Bank has surged this year.
Threats to
Hashemite Custodianship Since 1942, the Hashemite
family has been Jerusalem's Custodian of Muslim and Christian holy sites.
With Netanyahu’s
right-wing government, many have voiced concerns over His Majesty King
Abdullah’s role as Custodian of holy sites.
“The time where Israel
saw Jordan’s security as its own has passed,” said Rantawi.
“The right-wing racist
alliance will target custodianship. It will not hide its aggression against
Jordan, starting with Netanyahu and ending with Ben Gvir,” he added.
Since 1967, when Israel
captured East Jerusalem from Jordan, provisions regarding the Hashemite
Custodianship of Jerusalem’s holy sites were administered through a “status
quo” understanding between Jordan and Israel.
Despite the
custodianship, Jordan has no control over movement in and around the holy
sites.
“Policy towards Jordan
will be more extreme,” said former foreign minister Muasher. “Violations at
Al-Aqsa Mosque will increase, as this (Netanyahu’s) government does not believe
in any political solution to the Palestinian cause.”
Ben Gvir has repeatedly
visited Al-Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. Many Palestinians and
leaders see a visit by a serving Israeli minister as a provocation.
“The right-wing racist alliance will target custodianship. It will not hide its aggression against Jordan, starting with Netanyahu and ending with Ben Gvir.”
Israel’s new government
has vocally opposed the two-state solution and instead supported extending
Israel into the occupied West Bank.
“Jordan should prepare
for such alliances and not deepen its relations in vital and strategic sectors
such as gas, electricity, and water” with Israel, said Muasher.
“Jordan should review
its current policy with Israel and expose Israel’s racist practices that are
not accepted by the international community,” he added, citing the US’ previous
opposition to Ben Gvir as an example.
“Jordan cannot stand by
and watch the formation of this government, and we must adopt a clear and
oppositional policy.”
‘Danger’ to
Palestine, ArabsThe new government's
goal, said Israeli affairs expert and analyst Ismat Mansour, is to “eliminate
the two-state solution, expand settlements, and establish a strong
infrastructure”.
“This will create a
clash,” he added. “Legitimizing settlement expansion and infrastructure at the
expense of the Palestinian territories, the demolition of Area C, which amounts
to 70,000 Palestinian houses, and the incursions on Al-Aqsa Mosque will lead to
major conflicts.”
Regarding this,
Political analyst Labib Kamhawi told
Jordan News that the
danger of Netanyahu’s government is “looming over the Palestinian cause first
and all Arab security second”.
The increase in hostile
hate speech by Israel’s new government is “blocking the political horizon,”
said Mansour. “The weakening of the Palestinian Authority will also further
push toward an explosion.”
However, Mansour
believes that Netanyahu has a different agenda in the Arab region. “He wants
peace with Saudi Arabia and seeks to achieve regional achievements and bring
the Iranian file back on the scene.”
‘No change’ with
Israeli racism“Netanyahu will not
change anything,” political analyst Labib Kamhawi told
Jordan
News. Instead, the new government will make Israel’s “racist position
against Arabs” clearer.
This racism, he stated,
“exists on the right and left” of Israeli politics.
Kamhawi said that
Netanyahu's coming to power would simply confirm the reality of Israel, which
is for the government to “highlight the Jewishness of Israel”.
Despite this, he said,
“the youth of Palestine have the strength to resist this racism and express
rejection”.
On November 13,
Netanyahu secured a mandate to form a government, which he did minutes before
the deadline on December 21. According to Mansour, many parties in Netanyahu’s
coalition were able “to be openly extreme” because these parties “are fully
aware that Netanyahu is weak and has no other alternative”.
The danger of Netanyahu’s government is “looming over the Palestinian cause first and all Arab security second”.
“He has no government
without their right-wing, anti-anything-not-Jewish agenda”.
Mission to
‘Judaize Jerusalem’“Israeli settlers make
up 10 percent of the Jewish population in Israel, but their representation in
the Knesset exceeds this percentage,” said Rantawi.
This, he said, is an
indication that there is an organized and disproportionate representation of
the political right.
“The Israeli right today
control 82 seats, including 32 seats for religious settler forces,” he
noted.
Israel is moving to a
new phase in government, Rantawi said, “one that emphasizes settlers as the
center of decision-making in Israel”.
“They are supported by
the forces of ultra-Orthodox Jews and those with extreme chauvinistic national
tendency.”
Rantawi anticipates that
the West Bank and Jerusalem will witness a major settlement confrontation and
works by the Israeli right to accelerate the missions to “Judaize the city of
Jerusalem”.
“Israel is preparing a
chronological and spatial division of Al-Aqsa mosque,” he said.
“This is based on
projects to expand the Mughrabi Bridge to be an entrance for settlers who
believe that the time for building the Temple has come, even if it is on the
ruins of Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
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