The Israeli coalition government, which has the largest number of right-wingers in Israel’s history, is under widespread criticism for proposing reforms that would weaken the judiciary and abolish internal oversight mechanisms. This political situation sparked the largest protests Israel has ever witnessed. Actually, the current government is moving in a more dangerous direction, which is a bureaucratic change that has not attracted any attention so far.
When the extreme right-wing parties in Israel won the parliamentary majority last November, they amended some laws, which are considered more like a constitution in general, in a way that allows them to appoint a new special minister within the Ministry of Defense to take over some civil authorities regulating aspects of life in the West Bank. Previously, this was an exclusive area for the army.
This administrative change is seen as Israel’s declaration of sovereignty over the West Bank, in violation of the United Nations Charter’s prohibition of invading and annexing territories. Three leading Israeli organizations in the field of civil rights and human rights assert that this bureaucratic change is the legalization of the annexation of the West Bank.
This transfer of powers dispels the illusion that the occupation of the West Bank is temporary. It also further entrenches a dual and unequal legal system for Israelis and Palestinians and consolidates permanent Israeli control over the West Bank.
In fact, the extension of Israeli influence and Tel Aviv’s seizure of the reins of power there is the culmination of decades of policies that have strengthened Israel’s control over the Palestinian territories. But the current government has now crossed the line representing such a massive change that Israel no longer has any need to formally announce the annexation of the West Bank.
There is no doubt that changing the occupation authority will affect the daily life of Palestinians and Israeli settlers in the West Bank. According to this change, the civilian minister will head a “settlement authority” to manage the affairs of the Jews, while the Palestinians will remain subject to military authority. This step consolidates the settlers’ superiority in the West Bank. For example, the army will continue to determine the amount of water allocated to the Palestinians while the new civil authority controls the amount of water allocated to the Jews, facilitating an unfair distribution of water to both sides. It would strengthen civilian authority and allow settlement and infrastructure for Jewish settlers, in fundamental violation of international law that prohibits the establishment of civilian rule over occupied lands. After Israel violates the basic international embargo, these new powers will disregard all restrictions imposed by international law. The new minister will also have the authority to allocate lands, and will control energy and communications. He will also have the power to decide who can build new homes, schools, and public buildings, and which communities will be demolished in the future – a formula designed to expand Jewish settlements and suppress Palestinian lives.
What exacerbated the repercussions of this change were the beliefs of the civilian minister who was chosen for this position. The man who received this task is Bezalel Smotrich, who also occupies the position of Israeli Finance Minister and leads the country’s most fanatical party, which believes in the supremacy of the Jews openly. This man paved the way for his political career based on his anti-Arab racism.
Indeed, some political and partisan parties in Israel want to annex the West Bank, but the current Israeli government has not officially announced any official plan to annex the West Bank. The government is still clinging to the previous Oslo Accords, which stipulate a two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel.
However, the Israeli government has already implemented some measures that include the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the construction of the separation wall, and this raises the concerns of the Palestinians and the international community about the possibility of annexing part or all of the West Bank in the very near future.
It is important to note that the complete and illegal annexation of the West Bank will have a significant impact on the political and security situation in the region, and is strongly opposed by the Palestinians and the international community. Instead, international efforts should focus on achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region through negotiation and dialogue between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
Dr. Hatem Sadek: Professor at Helwan University
