Smotrich Targets Naqab With 40 New Settlements

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich proposed a plan in August to add one million Jewish residents to the Naqab and northern Israel. The proposal includes establishing 40 new settlements, dozens of farms, and hundreds of thousands of new housing units. This expansion aims to extend territorial control models from the West Bank into areas where Palestinian communities are concentrated.

The plan lands on a Tuesday when 20 percent of the Israeli population, the Palestinian citizens, face a difficult voting decision. These citizens hold the right to vote and participate in politics, a status granted in 1952. However, many question if their participation can alter the current political trajectory.

The political mainstream in Israel continues to shift to the far right. This shift brings growing threats to the political and collective rights of Palestinian citizens. Communities experience increased violence and settler encroachment on their boundaries. The recent push to expand policing and militarize civilian life adds to the anxiety within the population.

The anti-Netanyahu bloc does not offer a clear prospect of policy reversal. Many Palestinians wonder if voting can make a difference at all. The United Arab List, led by Mansour Abbas, has long argued that supporting the anti-Netanyahu camp helps remove the far right. Yet, the party's track record suggests otherwise.

Ra'am joined the coalition government formed after the 2021 elections, which excluded Netanyahu. The coalition failed to bring about fundamental changes in the conditions of Palestinian citizens. Mazen Ghnaim, a member of Ra'am, publicly acknowledged in 2022 that he could not push through beneficial policies despite his party being in power. He also lamented the heavy criticism he faced when visiting Palestinian communities.

In parallel, Israeli settlements next to Palestinian communities have expanded. This process began in mixed cities like Jaffa and Lydd, where religious-nationalist settler groups established themselves in Palestinian neighborhoods in 2021. Since October 2023, this process has accelerated. Organized crime groups have obtained advanced weapons, reportedly stolen from army stockpiles or smuggled across borders, claiming hundreds of lives in killings, shootings, bombings, and arson.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has widened access to personal firearms, issuing 300,000 gun licenses since taking office. He is also developing a National Guard to police Palestinian towns and villages. This force was prompted by the May 2021 Dignity Uprising in towns such as Lydd, Haifa, and Umm al-Fahm. The government has also strengthened settler security squads and integrated them into a broader security framework.

The author believes another four years of far-right rule would pose an immediate threat to Palestinian communities. Therefore, the author will vote in Tuesday's election. Electoral participation must be accompanied by a more radical political response. This requires reforming the High Follow-Up Committee for Arab Citizens and rooting it more firmly in Palestinian society through grassroots organizing.