Far-Right Israeli Conference Advocates for New Settlements in Gaza, Challenges Two-State Solution

A divisive conference titled “Settlement Brings Security and Victory,” organized by the right-wing Nahala organization in occupied East Jerusalem, has stirred significant controversy by advocating for the establishment of new Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.

Several members of the Israeli government attended the event, signaling a pushback against the international consensus advocating for a two-state solution to guarantee security for both Israelis and Palestinians. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced pressure amid this war, with a preference for maintaining security control rather than committing to a permanent presence in the region.

Although Channel 12 reported that 12 ministers from Netanyahu's Likud party attended, the calls by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for Palestinians to be removed from Gaza have raised considerable concern. Their rejection of the 2005 evacuation of Jewish settlements from Gaza encapsulates the ongoing debate about the enclave's governance and Israel's expansionist policies.

The alarming rhetoric at the conference not only called for settlements as a means to security but openly linked them to victory in the ongoing conflict with Hamas. There were passionate calls to rebuild the settlements, with Moshe Feiglin, a former Knesset member, emphasizing the importance of Jewish villages and cities in the Gaza Strip as a strategic necessity for Israel.

Despite the militants' support, figures like Gadi Eisenkot, a former army chief and current Knesset member, along with Education Minister Yoav Kisch, expressed disapproval of the event's timing and divisive nature, advocating unity especially during wartime.

The controversy is further fueled by the fact that existing Jewish settlements throughout the West Bank are deemed illegal under international law and are a source of frequent conflict with Palestinians. Human rights groups, alongside many governments, condemn settler violence and the meetings like the one held in Jerusalem, which appear to endorse policies in opposition to international law and rulings, including recent ones from the International Court of Justice.

Mariam Barghouti, a Palestinian-American activist and researcher, noted the significance of the meeting, given the caliber of its attendees—ministers and Knesset members—who influence Israeli policy. The Palestinian Authority has denounced the conference, seeing it as a step towards further destabilization in the region and contrary to international norms.

In an unexpected twist, Axios reported a secret meeting in Riyadh including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority aiming for political rejuvenation in Gaza. Israel and the US were briefed, indicating a regional move for PA leadership in Gaza. Notably, Saudi national security acknowledges the potential for normalization with Israel, contingent on steps toward establishing a Palestinian state.

As the war's tragic toll mounts, the rhetoric and policies arising from gatherings such as the controversial conference in Jerusalem do little to advance the cause of peace, underscoring the region's fragility and the complex layers of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.