The Americans hate the repeal of the Disengagement Law and Galant's signing of the new status of the territory in northern Samaria, just as they hate almost everything in the current Netanyahu government. But the difference at this stage of Israel's 75-year history is that Israel, or the Israeli government, hardly cares. The Biden administration, with this friendly president who is emotionally committed to Zionism, is hostile and does almost everything it can to undermine Israel's policy in the region.
The American withdrawal from the region is giving way to the Chinese, Russians, and Iranians. As a result, the entire system of the Abraham Accords was damaged. But the issue of northern Samaria connects to the colossal failure of the Israeli left and democratic administrations on the issue of Jerusalem. Ehud Barak, the angry face of the "protest," was the first to put Jerusalem on the table. He conducted negotiations at Camp David centered on schematic cuts across the length, breadth and depth of the Old City and the Temple Mount. The results were terrible. The Palestinians launched the second intifada and Jerusalem became controversial in the Israeli public. Since Camp David in 2000, the left has increasingly alienated Jerusalem and ceased to see it as the "eternal capital of Israel" and instead as an "obstacle to peace."
Fortified the integrity of Jerusalem by recognizing the city as the capital of Israel. Netanyahu, Photo: Moshe Milner / GPO
On the other hand, the much-hated Benjamin Netanyahu came along and fortified the integrity of Jerusalem by recognizing the city as Israel's capital, which was not the case until 2018. The person who carried out the embassy transfer on behalf of the Americans was the beleaguered President Donald Trump. After all, everything the Biden administration is doing stems in part from the desire to destroy all of Trump's achievements and plans in the Middle East.
Now comes Netanyahu's government with a dominant presence of Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, Strzok and Goldknopf – all the stars of Biederman's cartoons – and signals another intolerable thing: the withdrawal process that began in Oslo and gained momentum in the disengagement has not only stopped, it is also reversible. The wheel can be turned back. The reattachment of the yeshiva to the Pentateuch is a strategic milestone. This is a powerful message to the Palestinians.
Five months in power, the "capitation government" – as some call it – has proven on the national issue and in the war on terror that it has muscles. All in all, Defense Minister Galant's missing signature is nothing more than a procedural matter, and after the legislation it had to happen even under American opposition. One would think that the introduction of Smotrich's leg into the Ministry of Defense was intended precisely for these purposes. But he rightly has no authority over the head of Central Command.
As a lesson for the future: The change in the internal system of the Ministry of Defense, in which the Civil Administration was transferred to Smotrich, was unnecessary and harmed the defense establishment. On the agenda: the demand for the appointment of the Chief Military Rabbi by the Chief Rabbinate. This is already breaking the IDF's chain of command, which could cause a serious and unnecessary crisis. Hopefully, this issue will be off the agenda.
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