US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Sunday that the United States would oppose the establishment of new settlements by the next Israeli government in the occupied West Bank as Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to return to power thanks to a coalition with the far right.
“We will continue to oppose unequivocally any action that jeopardizes the two-state solution, including settlement expansion, moves to annex the West Bank, disruption of the historical status quo of holy sites, demolitions and evictions, and incitement to violence,” the Secretary of State said during an intervention with the progressive American pro-Israel group J Street.
The right-wing bloc and its ultra-Orthodox and far-right allies won the Nov. 1 Israeli general election with a majority of 64 out of 120 seats, allowing Benjamin Netanyahu to start negotiations to form a government.
During his address on Sunday, Antony Blinken praised Mr Netanyahu, whose relations with the United States have been stormy at times.
“We will judge the[Israeli]government by its policies and not by their individual personalities,” the Secretary of State noted, however, adding that the Biden administration will work “tirelessly” to bring “a hope” for the establishment of a Palestinian preserve condition.
“Evolve Colonization”
More than 475,000 Israelis currently live in settlements in the West Bank that are illegal under international law, about four times the number in the 1990s when the Oslo Accords were signed, which did not result in peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been involved in government negotiations, on Thursday signed a coalition agreement with one of the three far-right formations, giving them a key position in developing colonization in the West Bank, Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
In particular, under this agreement, the Religious Zionism Party receives – in turn – the portfolio of finance, that of immigration, and “functions” in the Department of Defense responsible for Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
The leader of this formation, Bezalel Smotrich, in a joint statement with Mr. Netanyahu, declared his intention to “develop colonization”.
Anger of the LGBT+ community
Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to be “the prime minister for everyone” during the campaign, but another coalition deal with an openly homophobic far-right leader angered Israel’s LGBT+ community in late November.
The head of US diplomacy Sunday stressed that the United States would insist on respect for “fundamental democratic principles, including respect for the rights of LGBT+ people and the fair administration of justice for all citizens of Israel.”
When asked about this during an interview on NBC on Sunday, Mr Netanyahu brushed aside the criticism and assured: “I will not accept any of this. (…) At the end of the day I will decide on the guidelines.”
Under Israeli law, he has until December 11 to form a government, but he can also request a 14-day extension.