Israeli Revocation of Disengagement Law Makes Ground for Occupation Expansion

In this connection, the Committee on Public Affairs of the Knesset on Wednesday initially passed a draft law that backs annexation of West Bank lands to Israel and turns southern Galilee into a part of Negev.

Under this law, it is emphasized that all Israelis of south of the 115th Line are considered to be part of the Negev and join the area that the Negev Development Law, passed in 1991, applies to. The cancellation of the disengagement law will allow the Israeli settlers to return to the four settlements of Ganim, Kadim, Homish and Sa-nur in the north of the West Bank.

According to a statement published by the Israeli army, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced cancelation of the disengagement law in northern West Bank since Jewish control of the West Bank will guarantee the security. 

These settlements were evacuated in 2005 and after implementation of the "unilateral" disengagement law, but in March 2023, the Knesset passed a bill revoking disengagement law. 

In another action, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich suspended transfer of tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority (PA) until further notice. Smotrich added that he permanently revoked the VIP licenses of PA officials and imposed additional financial sanctions on them. He called on PM Netanyahu to take action against the PA for "unilateral actions against Israel." The hard-line minister called for approval of thousands of housing units in the settlements and TO further settlements projects in response to any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. 

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that after the law revocation, stay of Israelis in the aforementioned settlements will not be considered illegal. 

What does revocation of the disengagement law mean? 

The disengagement law is a political term meaning the separation of a structural and functional unit into single institutions that have their own administrative system and geographical area.

This law was passed by then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2005 to disengage from the West Bank. This law does not recognize Gaza and the West Bank as Palestinian lands, but claims that they are Israeli.

This law does not recognize as illegal the settlement construction. 

This law is a kind of plan for management of conflict, but does not offer a solution in accordance with the International legitimacy resolutions. 

Revocation of this law means that he Israeli regime will not allow formation of an independent Palestinian state and self-determination for the Palestinians. 

Revocation of this law paves the way for construction of new cities in the West Bank and the Israelis can occupy more Palestinian lands through settlement projects. Expansion of settlements was one of Netanyahu's promises when he took the oath and this was one of the conditions of the hardline ministers for staying in the coalition cabinet. 

What's behind nixing the disengagement law? 

The new decision by Netanyahu and his friends in the West Bank pursues many goals, one of which is the reaction to international support to Palestine. 

Khalil Tufekci, an expert on settlements, told Khaleej Online that by nixing the disengagement law, the Israeli regime seeks to restore West Bank evacuated areas, having in mind that these settlements have remained under the control of the Israelis without allowing Palestinians to return to their usurped lands in 2005. 

Tufekci adds that Tel Aviv government eyes reviving the settlements in Jenin where it is witnessing a tough Palestinian resistance. 

Jenin and other areas where the disarmament law was lifted are considered fulcrums for future military action that would allow the Israelis to control the territory, according to Tufekci. It is noteworthy that over the past two years, the resistance groups have gained power in Jenin and Nablus and dealt heavy blows to the settlers and this has drawn the concern of Tel Aviv. Therefore, Netanyahu government is trying to closely monitor the movements of the resistance groups in these areas by returning the settlers to the evacuated settlements and tightening the siege, because power gain of resistance in the West Bank is the biggest concern of the Israeli leaders since it can activate the second front in the occupied Palestine. 

Tufekci also believes that the Israeli government is taking advantage of international conditions and the US support to eliminate the Palestine resistance. He refers to remarks of Netanyahu who recently reiterated that the so-called state of Israel is from the river to the sea. 

These settlements represent the nature of Israel's doctrine and apply the regime's right to its international context, and they are also responding to the International Criminal Court and the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant that affected Israelis, according to Tufekci. On Friday, the International Criminal Court ordered the cessation of hostilities in Gaza, and it is expected to review the criminal case against Netanyahu and Gallant and issue their arrest warrants, a move that has angered the Israeli leaders. 

According to Tufekci, Israel's recent action to cancel the VIP cards of Palestinian personalities and stop sending tax money to the PA is an action to weaken and destroy the PA.

"The Israeli side has started to implement all the projects, including the projects approved in 1979, such as the project of one million Israeli settlers in the West Bank, the project of opening bypass roads in the West Bank, and settlement projects, emphasizing that Israel's view of the West Bank is clear. Its purpose is to ensure that there is one state between the river and the sea, and it is the Hebrew state. 

The Israeli decision to revoke disengagement law came immediately after Spain, Norway, and Ireland officially stated they recognize a Palestinian state starting from May 28.

Whereas the Palestinians see these developments as positive, because they may be effective steps towards the creation of a real Palestinian state, the Israelis believe that they will not allow the formation of a Palestinian state, because this action will lead to incompatibility and disruption in attempts to develop settlements in Eastern Al-Quds (Jerusalem), wanted by the Palestinians as the capital of their independent state. Therefore, the Israelis want to prevent the formation of the Palestinian state in the future by occupying other parts of the West Bank and finally implement the project of Judaizing the West Bank and expelling the Palestinians from this region.

The hardline government of Netanyahu with these esclatory moves tries to warn the international community that foreign pressures cannot force it away from occupation. 

In the viewpoint of experts, revocation of the disengagement law would mean expansion of occupation and construction of new settlements in the West Bank. But this action at the same time can escalate tensions with Palestinian groups and spark a third intifada. Meanwhile, the occupational moves of hardline Netanyahu government in the West Bank at a time the international pressures are mounting on Tel Aviv for its genocide in Gaza can further deepen global isolation of Israel.