Israel coalition deal violates UN resolutions, constitutes war crime 

Middle East Monitor  /  November 18, 2022

Palestinian political and human rights experts have described the agreements concluded by the new Israeli coalition government partners as a clear and explicit violation of UN resolutions and international law which consider Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories “illegal”.

The Director General of the Palestinian Association for Human Rights (Witness), Mahmoud al-Hanafi, said making any geographic or legal change to the occupied Palestinian territories is a “violation of the law” as evidenced by the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Israeli Separation Wall in 2004.

He added that the policies and plans of the successive Israeli governments confirm the authorities’ extremist and racist nature.

Yesterday, Israeli media outlets published details of a deal between Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu and far right Member of the Knesset Itamar Ben-Gvir to form a coalition government. It provides for the legalization of illegal settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank within 60 days of the formation of the government, the amendment of the disengagement law from the Gaza Strip and legalizing the Homesh settlement outpost in the north of the occupied West Bank to allow Jewish Yeshiva students to study there.

The agreement also stipulates that planning and the construction of bypass roads to connect illegal settlements in the West Bank, widening Route 60 and allocating $146 million-$292 million for that purpose and legalizing the illegal Avitar settlement outpost would all be accelerated.

Palestinian political analyst, Hussam al-Dajani, said the agreement reflects the true face of Israel and confirms that the Israeli regime is an “apartheid regime”. This agreement, he added, is a clear violation of Security Council Resolution 2334, which confirms that the settlements are illegal.

“The Israeli occupation measures are also a message to the Arab and Islamic countries that have hastened to normalize relations with Israel, that the Zionist entity cannot ever be a state of peace that seeks stability in the region, but rather, it is a state of war, a state of killing and racial discrimination,” he said.