One day before Biden’s inauguration, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempted to enact a “Hail Mary” decision to legalize dozens of illegal settler outposts deep in the West Bank. He failed.
Why it matters: The massive legalization of outposts would have been a very provocative move, expanding Israeli control over the land in the West Bank and further diminishing the chances of a future peace deal with the Palestinians.
Background: Trump has drastically changed US policies towards Israeli settlements in the West Bank, providing them with new legitimacy and giving Israel a free hand over settlement activities.
- The Biden administration is expected to revert to traditional US policy of treating settlements as illegal and objecting to further construction.
Driving the news: In recent weeks, Netanyahu has tried to initiate several settlement plans before Biden took office, knowing it will be more difficult or even impossible later on.
- Earlier this week, Netanyahu urged Secretary of Defense Benny Gantz to agree to a cabinet-level decision to legalize five outposts and lay the foundation for legalizing 40 more.
- The outposts in question are located deep in the West Bank. Some are in remote areas in an effort to avoid Palestinian territorial contiguity.
- The colonists’ lobby has been pressuring Netanyahu to legalize the outposts in recent weeks, as well as lobbying his ministers.
Netanyahu withstood the pressure for a while, but he reversed course as part of his efforts to secure support from the settler lobby ahead of the March elections.
- The Israeli Justice Department opposed the move because Netanyahu’s transitional government is not allowed to make dramatic decisions ahead of the election.
- The State Department was also against it, arguing that the move 24 hours before Biden’s inauguration would be considered a provocative and challenging move and create tensions with the new US administration.
- Until an hour before Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Netanyahu continued to press Gantz to vote. Gantz declined, avoiding what he called an “irresponsible” move.
Worth nothing: Last week, the Israeli government approved plans for 800 new housing units in West Bank settlements, half of which are in isolated settlements deep in the West Bank.
- On Tuesday evening, the Israeli Land Authority began selling land for the construction of 2,600 new housing units in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
What to watch: In the coming days, the Biden government will have to publicly state its new policy on Israeli settlements. That could renew tensions with the Israeli government.