The killing of a man by an Israeli soldier in broad daylight in the occupied West Bank has once again brought back the spectre of violence and bloody confrontation between Israeli armed forces and Palestinians. Benjamin Netanyahu’s return to power as Prime Minister with the help of rabid, Right-wing forces last month raised fears about such a prospect, but many in Israel hoped the exigencies of holding on to the government may force the ruling parties to temper their anti-Arab and anti-Palestine rhetoric. The killing of 23-year-old Ammar Mufleh has, instead, sparked widespread anger among Palestinians with calls on social media to step up resistance acts against the Israeli occupation. The video of the shooting of an unknown Palestinian shows a cold blooded murder by an Israeli soldier. Mufleh appeared to strike the soldier and attempt to take hold of his rifle before the soldier pulled out a handgun and shot him several times. The Palestinian slumped down on the road and the two men, who had been trying to free him from the soldier holding him, were seen stunned by the act of killing an unarmed man. Of course, at another level, the reaction of the Israeli soldier seems justified since, had he not shot the attacker, his weapon would have been snatched and he could have been dead today.
UN’s peace envoy Tor Wennesland was reportedly ‘horrified’ by what he saw in the video footage and raised the matter in the Security Council. Since January, about 140 Palestinians have been killed in the area by Israeli forces, while Palestinian attacks have left 30 Israelis dead.
Such bloody confrontation has been the norm, but what shocks the world is the response of the incoming national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the pivotal figure of the Far-Right Jewish Power party. Instead of chastising the officer for a virtual public execution, he hailed him as a hero. This might have been necessitated because Israel depends heavily on its armed forces for the very survival of the country.
The Religious Zionism bloc, led by Ben-Gvir and the Jewish supremacist Bezalel Smotrich, is now the third-largest group in the Knesset (Parliament). It had been catapulted into this position in last month’s elections by whipping up racism and homophobia. Ben-Gvir has been aptly described as “the modern Israeli version of an American white supremacist and a European fascist.” His track record buttresses such an impression. He has been convicted of racist incitement and advocacy of terrorism. Israel’s Arab minority is fearing eviction from their homes as he has repeatedly pledged to relocate Bedouins and Palestinian Israeli citizens to neighbouring Arab states.
In fact, since January, tempers have been rising and many Palestinians have lost their lives in the occupied territories of the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and East Jerusalem so far. But, reports suggest a perceptible change in the behaviour of the Israeli forces in the occupied territory following the victory of the Far-Right. A new stage of conflict between the Israel government and the Palestinians seems to be on the cards. A more aggressive policy under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has cobbled together the most Far-Right Israeli cabinet ever, is all set to be followed. Netanyahu is now sharing power with Smotrich, who opposes Palestinian statehood, and Ben-Gvir who is an anti-Palestinian religious settler.
In a way, Netanyahu becomes instrumental in the rise of the Far-Right. This is more for his personal reasons than for any ideological commitment. He is on trial for corruption charges which he denies. He can escape the law only if he succeeds in distorting Israel’s justice system through new legislation mooted by his Far-Right and ultra-Orthodox allies. This seems to be a trade-off. Netanyahu can dodge the laws by letting the Far-Right reshape the policies in the occupied territories. At the moment, a radical wave is sweeping Israel as the recent voting patterns revealed about 60 per cent of voters now consider themselves Right wing. Only three years back, this figure stood at 46 per cent.
The killing of Mufleh appears to be an outcome of the changing political climate. Smotrich supports the annexation of the West Bank, the expansion of settlements and the demolition of Palestinian homes. Ben-Gvir plans a provocative ministerial visit to Haram al-Sharif, site of the third-holiest shrine in Islam, under the pretence that Israeli Jews are struggling for their religious rights.
On the other hand, Netanyahu has not yet said a word on the fresh spate of violence. This will most likely encourage the Far-Right to carry out its agenda of hatred which could be a sure fire recipe for disaster.