Israel’s bolder settlement policy may risk stability

Significance

Fearing an early collapse of the fragile coalition government inaugurated in May, all constituent parties initially sought to avoid any controversial decisions over Jewish settlements in the West Bank -- even though the base of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Yamina party is mostly amongst the national-religious faction, including settlers.

Impacts

• President Isaac Herzog’s move to hold an official ceremony in a Jewish enclave in the West Bank’s Hebron may further legitimise settlements.
• The Israeli Arab Ra’am party will focus on domestic agendas rather than the settlement question, which is unlikely to win it votes.
• US policy will depend on how much pressure the progressive flank of the Democratic party can exert.