Policy Changes in Israel's New Government

Recent Israeli Policy Changes:

In light of Palestinian efforts to address the Israeli occupation of the West Bank at the International Court of Justice, the Israeli Cabinet announced new sanctions against the Palestinian Authority.
Israel will use $40 million in Palestinian tax revenue to compensate victims of terrorist attacks committed by Palestinians, freeze all building permits for Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank, and deny Palestinian officials VIP permits allowing freedom of movement between border checkpoints.
Last week, Israeli Justice Minister Yariv Levin presented a set of judicial reforms that limit the power of the Supreme Court.
The proposals allow a Knesset majority to override Supreme Court decisions and end the “reasonableness standard,” which permits the High Court to intervene in government decisions ruled as unreasonable.
Additionally, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir ordered Israeli police to remove Palestinian flags from public spaces, labeling the flags as incitement of terrorism against Israel.

Domestic and International Responses:

On January 7, thousands of Israelis protested the reform proposals and the new coalition government in Tel Aviv.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh accused the Israeli government of attempting to topple the Palestinian Authority and wage a “new war against the Palestinian people.”
Former Israeli Supreme Court head Aharon Barak denounced the judicial overhaul, expressing concern for potential human rights abuses and tyranny of the majority.
While the Biden administration has taken steps to improve Palestinian relations, including appointing a Special Representative for Palestinian Affairs and re-authorizing funding to the Palestinian Authority cut during the Trump administration, diplomatic engagement with the new Israeli government has simultaneously progressed.
On January 9, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer arrived in Washington to meet with White House and State Department officials.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will visit Israel this month to discuss Israeli security, Iran’s regional threat, and the Abraham Accords.
J-Street condemned the punitive sanctions against Palestinian leadership and called on the United States government to oppose the measures.

Background on New Israeli Government:

Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned for a third term in a coalition deal between his Likud party and several far-right religious parties. He is the longest serving prime minister in Israeli history.
Israel’s new government is the most right-wing administration in the country’s history. Many have attributed this rightward shift to changing generational demographics in Israel: 64 percent of Israeli Jews aged 18 to 34 identify as right-wing, versus only 47 percent of those over 35.
Notably, left-wing party Meretz failed to gain Knesset representation for the first time since its 1992 establishment.

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