The Palestinian Authority and Hamas have reacted predictably to a new Israeli leadership. Less predictable is the future of Israel now that Netanyahu has been replaced.
Like Trump, with his signature make America great again policies, Netanyahu made Israel a great country during his tenure as Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, sending the message to the surrounding jihadists and to the world at large that Israel would not tolerate any undermining of its sovereignty or attacks on its citizens. His ever-present message to Palestinian jihadists was that there would be swift retaliation to their attacks. The new government, however, is an unpredictable hodgepodge of divided political rivals, united only in opposition to Netanyahu.
Most unnerving is to what extent Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett’s new coalition might seek to undo Netanyahu’s policies. To any enemy, division is a weakness, providing them opportunity to regroup.
Bennett and Lapid will differ in their approach to the Palestinian issue. While Bennett has supported annexing much of Judea and Samaria (often referenced as the West Bank) and opposes the creation of a Palestinian state, Lapid supports a so-called two-state solution negotiated with the Palestinian leadership. Unfortunately, Israel’s surrounding jihadists have had one mission that they have openly declared in their original Charters: a one-state solution, i.e., the annihilation of Israel from the River to the Sea. As for surrounding Islamic countries, they want to see a return to pre-1967 borders, which would hasten the demise of the Jewish state at the hands of the jihadists.
“Palestinian Authority: This is not a gov’t of change,” by Khalid Abu Toameh, Jerusalem Post, June 14, 2021:
It is inaccurate to call the new Israeli government a “government of change, unless the change is intended to remove [outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu,” the Palestinian Authority said in a first response to the swearing of the new Israeli government headed by Naftali Bennett.
A statement issued by the PA Foreign Ministry shortly after the new government was sworn in on Sunday evening said that the Palestinians do not expect a change in the policies of Israel.
“We estimate that Netanyahu’s policies will not change, and they could even be worse,” the ministry said. It pointed out that some of the leaders of the new government, including Bennet and New Hope leader Gideon Sa’ar, are “considered to be on the right of Netanyahu.
According to the PA, the Palestinians will judge the new government not on the basis of the principle of being with or against Netanyahu, or whether he is at the head of the government, but rather on its position towards the Palestinians, especially the establishment of a Palestinian state, settlements, and the annexation of parts of the West Bank, as well as the two-state solution.
The Palestinians will also judge the new government on the basis of its attitude towards “urgent” issues such as the flag march planned by Jewish groups in Jerusalem this week, the evacuation of a settler outpost near Nablus, visits by Jews to al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount and “threats to expel” Arab families from their homes in the east Jerusalem neighborhoods of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan, the PA ministry added.
Hamas, for its part, said that the repetition of the Israeli electoral process “within the Zionist entity is evidence of the depth of the political crisis that this entity is experiencing.”…..
Infidel says
I don’t completely agree w/ equating Netanyahu w/ Trump. He was more like an establishment politician – more like a Bush or at most, a Rubio. In fact, if one recalls, in 2015, he was one of the critics of Trump’s proposed ‘muslim ban’, and as prime minister, he too made too many concessions to the Palis. Back in the day, someone like a Begin or Shamir would have responded to a Pali attack by building even more settlements more aggressively, and doubling the security there. Netanyahu, otoh, was more than happy to yield to pressure from the US, be it Clinton, Bush or Obama
I like the unpredictability of Israel’s new government, and do not expect it to be one of appeasement. Since one thing the Arab Joint List would risk doing, if they were too pushy, would be to bring about a return of either Bibi or at least Likud, since Bennett has the option of allying w/ them if Israel was under immense pressure to make undue concessions
It’s nothing like Biden, who has no faction in his party pulling him to the right
Clive Delmonte says
When will commentators on Israeli affairs stop talking about “annexation”? That’s what the Jihadi murderers talk about.
The UN allocated Judea and Samaria to the nascent Israeli state in 1947. It was seized illegally by Jordan in 1948 and they immediately renamed it “West Bank” to obliterate their theft of that territory!
gravenimage says
+1
Wellington says
+2
gravenimage says
PA: Israel’s new government ‘not a government of change,’ Hamas vows to continue ‘armed resistance’
……………
I *hope* the new Israeli government continues to defend her citizens against Jihad terror as Netanyahu has done!
Wellington says
I will be surprised, gravenimage, if the new Israeli government lasts out the year. It might but my money, if placed on a bet, would be against it.
gravenimage says
You could be right, Wellington–I haven’t been following this story that closely.
Rob says
‘Not a ‘government of change’. Bit of a long bow given (a) the new coalition includes Arab List members, (b) Abass hasn’t held an election in over a decade.