One day before Biden’s inauguration, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to carry out a “Hail Mary” decision to legalize dozens of illegal outposts of the settlers deep in the West Bank. He failed.
Why it matters: The massive legalization of outposts would have been an extremely challenging step to broaden Israeli control over land in the West Bank and further reduce the chances of a future peace agreement with the Palestinians.
Background: Trump has dramatically changed US policy on Israeli settlements on the West Bank, offered them new legitimacy, and given Israel a free hand with regard to settlement activities.
- The Biden government is expected to return to traditional U.S. policy of treating settlements as illegal and objecting to further construction.
Send the news: Netanyahu has been trying for several weeks to launch several settlement plans before Biden takes office, knowing it will be more difficult or even impossible later.
- Earlier this week, Netanyahu urged Defense Minister Benny Gantz to agree to a cabinet-level decision to legalize five outposts and lay the groundwork to legalize another 40.
- The outposts in question are deep in the West Bank. Some are located in isolated areas in an effort to prevent Palestinian territorial cohesion.
- The settlement portal has put pressure on Netanyahu over the past few weeks to legalize the outposts and is also campaigning for his ministers in the cabinet.
Netanyahu resisted the pressure for some time, but he turned course as part of his efforts to secure the support of the settler portal before the March election.
- The Israeli Ministry of Justice opposed the move because Netanyahu’s caretaker government may not decide to make dramatic decisions before the election.
- The State Department was also opposed to the move, arguing that the move 24 hours before Biden’s inauguration would be seen as a “challenging and challenging step” and that it would create tensions with the new US government.
- Until an hour before the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Netanyahu was still pushing Gantz to agree. Gantz refused and prevented what he called an “irresponsible” move.
Note: Last week, the Israeli government approved plans for 800 new housing units in West Bank settlements – half of them in isolated settlements deep in the West Bank.
- The land authority of Israel began marketing land on Tuesday night for the construction of 2,600 new housing units in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
What to look for: In the coming days, the government of Biden must reveal its new policy on Israeli settlements. It could renew tensions with the Israeli government.