Palestine recognition met with growing backlash from Israel

An Israeli government backlash is brewing over western countries formally recognising a Palestinian state, The New York Times reported on September 23rd.

Some of the most vocal opposition comes from Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, a key figure in the Otzma Yehudit (“Jewish Power”) political party.

In response to countries, including the UK and France, recognising a Palestinian state, Ben-Gvir called for “immediate countermeasures” on September 21st.

Ben-Gvir, who left the Israeli government after Israel announced a ceasefire with Hamas which took effect in January, only to rejoin in March, was ultimately sanctioned by the British government, together with Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

The sanctions imposed by the British government in tandem with Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway, constituted a travel ban for both ministers, along with an asset freeze.

The decision to sanction Ben-Gvir and Smotrich was due to their extremist views, in which the UK government accused the pair of inciting violence against Palestinians.

A major “countermeasure” is the annexation of the occupied West Bank, which is part of an ongoing plan to expand settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed off the E1 settlements plan on September 11th.

Ben-Gvir had said that he would soon propose the application of “sovereignty” in the West Bank to the cabinet, where the proposal has been supported extensively.

He also threatened “the complete crushing” of the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the territory and liaises with Israel on security, and which much of the world sees as the basis for the government of an independent Palestine.

Israel had previously imposed long-term economic sanctions on the Palestinian Authority in the aftermath of the October 7th, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, including freezing revenues used to pay teachers and the police in the occupied West Bank.

The proposed annexation of the occupied West Bank would be located east of Jerusalem and effectively split the West Bank into two, further undermining the prospect of a Palestinian state.

The new settlements would include 3,400 new settler homes and could extend Israeli sovereignty into 82% of the West Bank.

More than 50,000 settlers are believed to reside in the occupied West Bank, with many living in settlements that resemble small towns and suburbs.

Violence against Palestinian residents of the West Bank has intensified since October 7th, 2023, including raids on Palestinian properties by Israeli settlers.

On July 31st, it was reported that Israeli settlers were targeting the water supplies of Palestinians, with the aim of making conditions so difficult that Palestinians would be forced to leave their homes, according to Jihad Gnimat, a councilor to the municipality of Kafr Malik.

The New York Times, Maghrebi.org