Following the ultra-conservative coalition’s electoral victory earlier this month, Ben Gvir claimed the ministry with sweeping powers, despite objections from numerous countries, including the United States, a close Tel Aviv ally.
If the agreement is consumed, the Palestinians will suffer much more violence and racism, indicated Suhail Kiwan, a specialist in political affairs.
Speaking to the Safa news agency, Kiwan warned that “there will be more restrictions and ease (for Israeli soldiers) to pull the trigger against the Palestinians” in the occupied territories.
The appointment of Ben Gvir, who has an openly anti-Arab, racist and xenophobic discourse, would be a removal of all red lines, which will translate into an increase in executions, shootings and prosecutions, as well as demolitions of structures in the area, Kiwan stressed.
Faced with this situation, he warned that the Palestinians “will not sit idly by and will respond forcefully” to these crimes.
The agreement to grant powers to the said extremist, over the Israeli police, will amount to a change in the body’s policy in the treatment of Palestinians, Imtanas Shehadeh said. Therefore, we expect “an increase in the number of executions and the use of force and repression towards any incident related to the Palestinians.”
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