The coalition negotiations between the Likud and Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu and the rest of the bloc’s parties are only a hint of what is to come in Israel in the security and political aspects. So says a Likud man, who is destined to be a senior minister.
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Religious Zionist chairman Smotrich, according to him, “implements his belief that Netanyahu is a ‘liar who is a liar’ – therefore he insisted on accepting under his responsibility important bodies for the implementation of policies in Judea and Samaria, led by the Civil Administration. It’s stupidity and bureaucratic and governmental anarchy. This mine may explode on us.”
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“Netanyahu’s power is limited, and Smotrich is less interested in the possibility of a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia than in returning the settlement to Chomash and Shanur.”
The new government’s policy, which will be affected by Smotrich, will be required to address the dilemma arising from the attitude towards the Palestinian Authority in the background of the increase in attacks. The Palestinian Authority, on the one hand, is a security partner, helps calm the area and arrests terrorists, and on the other hand also encourages terrorism.
The security assessment in Israel is that the Palestinian Authority has full control over only part of the West Bank, with Hebron and Jenin under very partial control. The security recommendation is not to harm the Palestinian Authority directly. However, according to one of the recommendations that will be placed on the desk of the incoming Defense Minister and Prime Minister, the civil-economic pressure on Ramallah should be increased.
“If economic and civilian tools can be used to moderate the area,” says a security source, “they can also be used to deter the authority.” At the same time, he warns that moves by the new government and its successor, chief among them the cancellation of disengagement in Samaria, or a move that will be interpreted as a provocation on the Temple Mount, could set the area on fire.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu was interviewed by the American journalist Berry Weiss, and confirmed in his statements the publications in Globes about the reassuring messages he conveyed to the leaders of the region regarding the emerging government. “International officials contacted me and expressed concern that I would give the Ministry of Defense to one of the small parties. I told them that would not happen, it is a red line,” said Netanyahu, who added that the Ministry of Defense would remain in the hands of the Likud. Regarding the concerns of harming minorities and LGBT people, Netanyahu replied: “The rights of minorities will not be harmed, Israel will not be governed according to the laws of the Talmud. We will not ban the existence of LGBT organizations.”
Commenting on the matter, the Likud official says: “It will be a daily struggle within the government, they will wear it out with blunt statements and statements, construction approvals in the settlements, provocative field visits and what not. I am afraid that in the end they will dictate much more than Netanyahu wants. I assume that he will prevent substantial changes in my affairs Status quo of religion-state and LGBT. There are enough ministers in Likud who will join, but these will be a smokescreen for the extreme right to promote the political agenda.”
The senior also expressed his opinion on the apparent appointment of Smotrich as Minister of Finance. “He may be a good minister of finance. If he focuses on that, the first two years will go well. After that, I don’t know, this government with this composition will have a hard time persevering. In general, dividing the ministries into a two-year rotation is particularly crazy.”
Sanctions on statements that aided Iran
After the shipments of Iran’s weapons to Russia increased in recent weeks, mainly the suicide drones, it became clear that at least one Emirati company is involved in these shipments, as well as in helping to transfer soldiers from Syria to the battlefields in Ukraine. According to the US Treasury, which oversees the sanctions against companies and countries involved in the war, An Emirati company called iJet global is helping Iran fly weapons to Russia.
The Americans revealed that this company, which is headquartered in Dubai and also operates offices in Damascus, is involved in these flights, and enables Russian and Iranian companies involved in the flights to circumvent the sanctions imposed on them. Moreover, according to the US Treasury, the Emirati company helped the Revolutionary Guards to transfer weapons and personnel from Iran to Syria. This is where Israel enters the picture, since these transfers are intended for Iranian forces in Syria and also for Hezbollah, some of whose activities are directed against Israel. An Israeli security source says that according to the suspicion in some of these arms transfers, it is a matter of ammunition intended for Hezbollah’s missile array – which is directed to Israel.
This company and another Emirati company involved in these transfers are blacklisted by the US Treasury Secretary and will be subject to sanctions. According to the Israeli source, the intelligence connection between the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel helped expose the companies. This story testifies to the complexity of the relationship with the United Arab Emirates, which forms the basis for Arab and Iranian companies, and on the other hand, to the intelligence advantages created by the Abraham Accords.
Netanyahu is planning his first political visit as Prime Minister to the United Arab Emirates, probably as early as January, where he will celebrate for the first time his achievement in signing the Abraham Accords.