Strategic repercussions of Netanyahu’s re-election

Strategic repercussions of Netanyahu's re-election: The formation of an extremist administration marks a dangerous turn in the Zionist regime's rightward shift.

Mass demonstrations have broken out in the occupied territories over Benjamin Netanyahu’s appointment of extremists to his cabinet; the ascent to power of extremists like Shas Party leader Aryeh Deri, and the swearing in of reviled figures like former Israeli minister Amir Ohana as the new speaker of the Knesset.

Eighteen months after losing the Zionist regime’s premiership, Benjamin Netanyahu became Israel’s sixth prime minister. So far, Bibi has been successful in forging a coalition cabinet with his Likud party at the helm.

To reclaim power, Netanyahu needed the support of extremist political figures; those who were regarded as minor political actors prior to the formation of the current administration will now have key ministerial portfolios in Bibi’s cabinet. However, their lack of effectiveness has prompted serious doubts within the Zionist regime about Tel Aviv’s future approach to the Palestinian question.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, a notorious racist supporter of Israel’s state terrorism, is the head of the new government’s Ministry of National Security, overseeing the Zionist regime’s security activities in the occupied West Bank. Ben-Gvir is a West Bank settler and the leader of the far-right party “Jewish Power.” He supports giving the Zionist troops leeway to use lethal force against Palestinian civilians and opposes the creation of a Palestinian state within the 1967 boundaries.

Bezalel Smotrich is another outspoken extremist member of Netanyahu’s cabinet. He is the leader of the “Religious Zionism” party and has been assigned to the Ministry of Finance. He also has the authority to select the commissioner of the Zionist regime’s activities in the occupied territories, including the management of the Palestinian crossings and the control of travel permits.

Smotrich is infamous for his anti-Arab views. In addition to his duties in the Zionist Ministry of War, he seeks to expand the illegitimate settlements in the West Bank until they are annexed by the Zionist regime. During the inaugural ceremony of the new cabinet, numerous protesters, numbering in the thousands, flocked to the streets to voice their opposition to Netanyahu’s re-election.

This came as more than a hundred former Zionist regime diplomats and Foreign Ministry staff voiced alarm over the emergence of an extremist administration and the disastrous impact it would have on Israel’s foreign relations and international standing. It was against this backdrop that the Israeli ambassador to France, Yael German, resigned in opposition to the formation of an extremist administration.

In the United States, Jewish organisations warned against the formation of the new Israeli government and its apartheid policies. They also stressed that this catastrophic development could negatively influence the support of these lobbying groups for the Zionist regime.

Given these facts, most political observers believe 2023 will be a decisive year for the Palestinian Authority’s future, the security situation in the West Bank, and the plight of Palestinians in the 1948 occupied territories. Meanwhile, the escalation of clashes between the Palestinian resistance and the Zionist security forces in recent months has sent off warning bells in Israel.

It is only inevitable that the Palestinians would not remain silent in the face of mounting Zionist radicalism, particularly regarding the Islamic sacred sites, namely Al-Aqsa Mosque. Tensions between Palestinian civilians and Israeli settlers might intensify under such a scenario, which would be ideal for Netanyahu’s political adversaries who seek his permanent removal from power.