Of late, Benjamin Netanyahu has been sworn in as Israel’s prime minister for the record sixth time. While his predecessors continued repression and discrimination against the Palestinian people, Netanyahu’s administration pledges to be the most right-wing and religiously conservative in Israel’s history. Despite facing criminal allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, Netanyahu was re-elected with a resounding majority in the Parliament, unlike his immediate past bid for power. To obtain a sixth term, Netanyahu struck a devil’s bargain with Israel’s extreme right-wing religious factions. Apart from his mainstream Likud Party, all of the other parties in his new coalition are deeply conservative and ultra-religious, with two of them representing ultra-Orthodox Jewish Israelis, or Haredim.
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There is no doubt that Netanyahu and his fellow right-wing politicians’ plans for massive settlement expansion, de facto (albeit illegal) annexation of large parts of the West Bank, widespread increases in house demolitions, and forced evictions of Palestinian families are already in the work–all to escalate what previous governments referred to as the “Judaization” of occupied East Jerusalem and most of the West Bank.” Palestinians would endure “far more horrible discrimination” under the incoming government. Military assaults on Gaza, arrests, incarceration of youngsters, and collective punishments will all become more severe.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry referred to Ben-Gvir’s “storming” of Al Aqsa as an “unprecedented provocation and a dangerous escalation of the conflict.” Now, the situation has deteriorated under Netanyahu as Israel under his leadership is trying to eliminate Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza strips. The ordinary Palestinians’ lives and livelihoods near West Bank and Gaza are at stake owing to Israeli aggression. Their culture, beliefs, and traditions are being attacked by the right-wing political forces from Israel who think of themselves as invincible due to their unanimous victory in the Knesset. Against such a backdrop of deliberate escalation of violence against the innocent Palestinians, who will stop a new round of Israeli aggression?
THE GENESIS OF THE PALESTINE-ISRAEL CONFLICT
Palestinians have been evicted from their lands through the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. For decades, the Palestinians have been struggling with their limited capacity to establish their lost self-determination and sovereign rights for an independent state. However, Palestine and Israel agreed to sign a peace accord in 1993 popularly known as the Oslo Accord under which both the Palestine Authority led by PLO and then the Israeli Government supported the formula in the quest for a robust solution to this problem. Now, the major powers have turned a blind eye to Palestinians and their appeal for independence. They have been undergoing a very hostile environment over the decades.
There was a time when Palestinians fought against Israel which resulted in five major wars between Arabs and Israel, including the war of 1967, the most aggressive war where Israel occupied and annexed not only the West Bank and Gaza but also the Sinai Peninsula situated in Egypt, Golan heights of Syria and part of Jordan. The consequence of the 1967 war was partly settled by the Camp David Peace Accord in 1979. Since then, Palestinians have been struggling in the Israeli-occupied territories in West Bank and Gaza.
The Palestinians didn’t get any justice although the peace accord was signed in 1979. Later on, the 1993 Peace Accord of Oslo created some hope for peace. The two-state solution was overwhelmingly accepted by the United States and other western countries. The creation of the Palestinian authority was the right solution toward the final destination of the two-state solution. Although the US and Western nations supported the idea of two states solution, they never genuinely extended their diplomatic clout in favor of the Palestinians against the aggression of Israel.
NETANYAHU’S REELECTION: A NEW ESCALATION?
Benjamin Netanyahu served in different positions in his career. He has experience of serving in the military, representing Israel in the UN as a diplomat, and lastly politician. While Benjamin Netanyahu has remained in power to this point, corruption allegations and his repeated failure to establish a stable and trusted coalition government seemed to be the end of his rule. His morality and political integrity have been questioned many times but ironically, he is the longest-serving Prime Minister in Israel which indicates the recent surge of populism across the world.
However, the confrontation with the Palestinians has reduced the public animosity toward Netanyahu. Netanyahu is also a leader who was born after the creation of Israel. He was convicted for the charges of corruption and bribery by the Israeli court. He also retired from politics after the end of his tenure in 2006. However, 73 years old politician once again stepped on the stage of politics and served from 2009 to 2021. He is now representing a coalition government led by the Likud party which secured a majority of the seats in the Israeli Parliament called Knesset.
His bloc secured 64 seats out of 120 which reflects his power unlike in the past is safe and he collided with the group which shares ultra-orthodox political elements in Israel. Hence, for the first time in the politics of Israel, all the right-wing members and ortho-dox political forces have been summoned under the leadership of Netanyahu. This is an unholy trinity for the Palestinian and their cause of independence. The current PM Benjamin Netanyahu was one of those who were against the Oslo Peace Accord from the beginning.
A NEW SPELL OF VIOLENCE AGAINST PALESTINIANS
He is now trying to bury the two-state solutions which resulted in the exile of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza. The Netanyahu Government considered the Palestinian government as the biggest obstacle to achieving its goal of “Greater Israel” which is the prime policy focus of the current government. They are trying to manipulate the sentiments of the common Israeli People. Many Israelis still share a secular out- look and they are in favor of the two-state solution and peaceful co-existence of Palestine and Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu has been able to change the balance and try to pursue their political ambitions of turning Israel into more aggressive and establishing the goal of greater Israel. Their main focus is to banish the Palestinian and establish a monopoly over West Bank and Gaza.
This situation is extremely unfortunate for the world as things have become far worse and the possibility of implementing two-state solution is at the lowest level if not impossible. Domestically, Israel has always been divided on the line of secular political agenda and there has been a presence of both left-wing and right-wing politicians in Israel. Of course, there has been a surge of right-wing parties with their domination over power. It has unleashed a new era of aggression against the Palestinian who are even fighting for their existence and their struggle for an independent state. They declared their independence and even tries to get UN membership.
However, the United Nations Security Council did not recognize its quest for membership due to the American veto. Interestingly, the United States supported the two-state solution but they never extended their genuine support for Palestinian statehood. What Netanyahu is started against Palestine is a new phase of state terrorism. The Western world has demonstrated its concerns regarding the new round of violence between Palestine and Israel but never condemned the actions of Israel for their aggression against the innocent Palestinians whose screams are not heard by anyone in the world. Even some Middle Eastern countries have extended cooperation with Israel including establishing diplomatic relations, and opening embassies in Jerusalem.
They have recognized Israel and maintained warm relations with it. Hence, Israel right now is enjoying greater support even from some Arab states.
This aggressive government is utilizing these diplomatic strengths against the Palestinians. In this situation, the world community should come forward and there should be bold initiatives by the West.
Whatever Netanyahu says or does is greatly rely- ing on the strength of its relation with the USA and other western countries whom he considers that in the context of Ukraine War will continue to support Israel to counter the rise of Iran in the Middle East. They will try to keep Israel at their side under any circumstance.
Netanyahu as a very aggressive politician is exploiting the Ukraine war situation in his favor because the Ukraine crisis has overshadowed the Palestinians’ sufferings. While Europe is heavily engaged in a major war in their backyard, Asia is struggling to cope with the adversaries caused by it. Russia and China are also bogged down in dealing with their domestic woes. Hence, he finds Palestinians without any support, any resources which trigger them to attack Palestinians politically and, militarily. As for concluding note, it can be said that the very purpose of the Ukraine War as argued by the West is to condemn the violations of territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
The same logic can be explained by the Palestinians, who are forcibly evicted from their homeland where they had been living for centuries. Even justice could not be delivered to the Palestinians after 74 years.
Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly approved a resolution on December 30 last requesting the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to deliver an advisory opinion on the legal implications of Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian land.
The Ukraine War should be a reminder for the world of the sufferings of the Palestinians by Israeli aggression in terms of their violations of rights and self- determinations even though they struggle to survive and face sub-human situations every day. The world must stop this Netanyahu regime and begin a genuine peace process for the Palestinians!
