In October 2015, Israeli lawmaker Yoav Kish withdrew a bill that sought to legalize the seizure of Palestinian private property in the West Bank, after the proposal led to widespread anger. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a right-wing politician with little interest in Palestinian rights, rejected a similar bill during his last term, arguing that the proposal threatened the interests of Israel.
Over 2,000 Israeli structures have been built on Palestinian land.
Now the notion has arisen again. MP Shuli Moalem-Rafaeli, of the Jewish Home Party, has proposed an updated version of the bill in another attempt to legitimize land seizures.
"The legalization of Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria is the only way to solve the problematic nature of the thousands of homes – for example in the settlement of Amona – that were built deliberately and with the encouragement of the Israeli government over several decades," she said, according to Haaretz.
"The government’s harassment of the settlers – demolishing their homes, exposing them to lawsuits and portraying them as lawless – is unjustified. The bill proposes solutions that were implemented by the government in the past under similar circumstances."
While the bill seeks to prevent Israeli homeowners from having their homes demolished, it shows little concern for Palestinians who suffer the same fate. According to the bill, Palestinians would receive money and be provided with other, less-desirable tracts of land, but would not be able to legally oppose the government’s decision.
Similar to previous attempts, the bill is unlikely to pass, but could be seen as a sign that the Jewish Home party is preparing to break with the governing coalition led by Netanyahu’s Likud party. Last week, Jewish Home party leader Naftali Bennett warned of leaving the coalition if a Palestinian state were to be created.
"While we’re here, there will be no Palestinian state on the highway number 6," he said in an interview with Arutz 2 TV. "We will become a wall against the historical mistakes. If it comes to the 1967 borders and the division of Jerusalem, we will not only leave the government, but will collapse it."
Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition for their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. Israel has been building settlements on the occupied territories despite objections from the United Nations.
Writing for Anitwar.com, Jason Ditz points out that "with the [Israeli] government shifting more and more to the right, and Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett locked in an increasing battle with Netanyahu, this bill could quickly become a major bone of contention within the coalition."
