Events in Jerusalem over the past few days show that Ben Gvir’s declared war on East Jerusalem has already begun, as Israeli authorities crack down on Palestinians across the city.
Israel is putting its commitment to Jewish supremacy above the functioning of its healthcare system, proposing rejecting graduates of Palestinian universities in favor of “Jewish purity.”
Israeli forces and Israeli settlers killed 3 Palestinians in three days shortly after Itamar Ben Gvir called for an “Operation Defensive Shield 2” in response to the targeting of Israeli settlers.
Danny Ayalon, a vigorous advocate for Israel and former ambassador to the U.S., says he is worried about the growth of Jewish anti-Zionism in the United States.
For those concerned that Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reforms will threaten democracy in Israel I simply ask, “democracy for whom?”
Israel announced a series of punitive measures in response to a UN resolution calling for the ICJ to issue an opinion on the decades-long occupation. Experts say the measures reveal the true powerlessness of the PA, and warn lack of international accountability will only worsen the situation on the ground.
Itamar Ben Gvir wants to normalize Jewish worship at the Al-Aqsa compound as a precursor to full Israeli control over the holy site, much like Baruch Goldstein’ massacre at the Ibrahimi Mosque brought full Israeli control over that part of Hebron.
It is hardly farfetched to assume that the al-Aqsa compound might suffer the same fate — where a particularly violent set of events would facilitate further Israeli takeover.
On January 9, the Israeli Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir, banned the display of the Palestinian flag in all public spaces.
This order is one in a recent string of escalating attacks on Palestinians by the newly formed ultra-rightwing Israeli government.
“It’s erasure and a form of criminalizing every act of Palestinian resistance and identity,” Linda Tabar, a Palestinian professor of international relations at the University of Sussex told Mondoweiss. “It’s a form of trying to negate Palestinian life,” Tabar said, “they’re suffocating us.”
Itamar Ben Gvir’s raid of the Al Aqsa compound has strained the Abraham Accords and made it harder for Arab states to justify continued normalization with Israel.
These increasingly provocative actions by Israel don’t merely raise serious concerns for the UAE and other Abraham Accords participants; it also raises worries anew in Egypt and, especially, Jordan. Both countries have maintained long term peace accords with Israel, against the wishes of the vast majority of their citizens.
Last month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared that the Biden administration would judge incoming Israeli leaders on their actions. So far it has remained silent as the new Israeli leaders have taken proactive actions in Jerusalem, and Israeli forces have killed four Palestinians in the first week of 2023.