With elections looming in October, Israel’s right wing is turning the push to rebuild Jewish settlements in Gaza into a central issue of their campaign.
It is part of a broader effort to push Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reverse the 2005 disengagement from the coastal enclave that saw Israel unilaterally uproot its settlements.
On Sunday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich – two key far-right members of Netanyahu’s government – led thousands of Israeli settlers and activists to the Gaza perimeter demanding the reestablishment of three settlements in northern Gaza: Nisanit, Dugit and Elei Sinai. Organized by the hardline Nachala settler movement, the demonstration included senior government ministers and lawmakers. The demonstration is more than just a political stunt meant to secure right-wing votes. Expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank and rebuilding settlements in Gaza are an open dream of Israel’s far-right, and they see the current moment in time with Israel occupying more than half of Gaza as a prime opportunity to pressure Netanyahu to advance their agenda.
In an attempt to prevent the demonstration from entering Gaza,the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared the area a closed military zone, forcing organizers to alter the route. But the marchers would not be deterred, pushing toward the Gaza perimeter while dodging barriers set up by the Israeli miliitary and police.
