Palestinian fears heightened as Israeli far right heads to power

Palestinians have expressed grave concerns as the far right Avigdor Lieberman appears set to become Israel’s next defense minister. The former foreign minister has a long and questionable history of anti-Palestinian policies and comments, which has raised fear and trepidation in Palestinian circles.

Avigdor Lieberman, a vocal hardliner and proponent of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and its control of Palestinian life, recently was given the backing by his party to secure the role of defense minister. This followed the recent election in Israel, which saw Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party emerge as the biggest political force.

Lieberman’s past statements, and his public pledges to deal harshly with Palestinians have heightened the anxieties of many Palestinians. These include a suggestion to publicly mete out the death penalty to Palestinians who attack or kill Israelis, or the idea of implementing an application process in order to determine if people are eligible for Israeli citizenship, based on loyalty to the state.

Though highly supported by Israeli hardliners, these proposals have been condemned by international groups and human rights activists as violations of international law and a violation of the basic human rights of the Palestinian people.

In addition to the potential danger posed by Lieberman, Palestinians are also worried about the rise of other far-right politicians in Netanyahu’s coalition, including those from the Jewish Home Party, which is led by Naftali Bennett. Bennett is a proponent of aggressive settlement expansion, and has publicly suggested that Palestinians should never be given a state.

Given that the current Israeli government is dominated by the far right and hawkish politicians, Palestinians now feel more anxious and more vulnerable than ever before. Many worry that their rights and freedoms will be further restricted by the new government’s policies and actions, which could lead to further restrictions on their movement, or even to the possibility of their land and property being taken away.

The situation facing Palestinians is made worse by the fact that international efforts to find a peaceful solution have largely stalled over the past few years. With the new coalition in place, the prospect of peace appears even more distant, as Netanyahu seems unwilling to compromise on any issue.

Unless international pressure is put on the Israeli government to change its policies and stop its aggressive tactics towards the Palestinians, the situation is likely to get worse in the short term. Until then, Palestinians will unfortunately have to live in fear as the far right continues to dominate Israel’s political scene.