US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pledged to fight back against Israeli settlements or annexation in the occupied West Bank, as former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will return to power.
Netanyahu has signed a coalition agreement with far-right and settler-friendly parties, including religious Zionism, after his right-wing coalition won the elections on November 1.
Palestinians fear that more illegal settlements are likely to be built in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem under Netanyahu, who saw a record increase in settlements during his 12-year term as prime minister until 2021.
Settlements are considered illegal under international law and are seen as an obstacle to the achievement of a future Palestinian state as part of the two-state solution.
Religious Zionism, which supports the expansion of settlements and opposes Palestinian statehood, has been assigned a position in the new coalition to monitor settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Speaking with J Street, a left-wing pro-Israel advocacy group in the United States, Blinken congratulated the veteran Israeli leader, who had clashed with previous Democratic governments in Washington.
“We will judge the government by the policies it pursues rather than by individual personality,” said Blinken.
However, he said President Joe Biden’s administration would work “tirelessly” to maintain a “horizon of hope” for the creation of a Palestinian state, however weak it may be.
“We will continue to unequivocally oppose any actions that undermine the prospects of a two-state solution, including but not limited to expanding settlements, steps to annex the West Bank, disrupting the historic status quo of holy sites, demolitions and evictions, and incitement to violence,” said Blinken.
He said the Biden administration would insist on “core democratic principles, including respect for the rights of LGBTQ people and the equal administration of justice for all citizens of Israel.”
The far-right groups in Netanyahu’s coalition will also include Noam, whose leader Avi Maoz is firmly opposed to LGBTQ rights.
Netanyahu’s other coalition partners, the far-right Jewish Power Party, is also supporting settlers’ expansion. Its leader, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who until last year was primarily known as a marginal provocateur for the far-right and religiously motivated followers of Palestine.
Ben-Gvir’s record includes a 2007 conviction for racist agitation against Palestinians and supporting terrorism, as well as for anti-LGBTQ activism.
He says he is no longer committed to expelling all Palestinians — only those he considers “traitors” or “terrorists.” Until a few years ago, Ben-Gvir had in his living room a portrait of Baruch Goldstein, who massacred 29 Palestinian believers in a mosque in Hebron in 1994.
Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J Street, told reporters the State Department had “strong arguments” to regard Ben-Gvir as persona non grata and that the US government should consider not dealing with other officials with extreme backgrounds.
“No substitute” for peace
The election on November 1 was Israel’s fifth in less than four years and took place following the collapse of Lapid’s diverse coalition, which tried to keep scandal-ridden Netanyahu away.
Any new attempt by Israel to seize the occupied West Bank could violate the promises Netanyahu made in 2020 to the United Arab Emirates, which became the first Arab state to recognize Israel in decades.
Netanyahu and the government of then-US President Donald Trump described the so-called Abraham Accords as an important achievement.
Three other Arab nations quickly discussed relations with Israel, whose trade relations with the United Arab Emirates have increased sharply over the last two years.
Blinken received the biggest applause from J Street, saying, “For all its benefits, normalization between Israel and its neighbors is no substitute for creating peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”
“I know that a lot of people are disillusioned; a lot of people are frustrated,” said Blinken.
“We’ve been trying to achieve a two-state solution for decades, and yet it appears we’ve only moved further away from that goal,” he said.
However, he warned against “succumbing to cynicism” and continuing to work for peace.
The US has made no significant diplomatic efforts to broker a two-state solution since Barack Obama’s presidency, with representatives of the Biden administration privately skeptical that they could reach a deal with Netanyahu.