Several members of the Israeli government joined a far-right conference calling for the resettlement of the Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank.
The conference, organised by the right-wing Nahala organisation on Sunday night and dubbed “Settlement Brings Security and Victory”, called for new Jewish settlements to be built in the Palestinian territories. The call of the politicians and activists gathering in occupied East Jerusalem came amid international pressure on Israel to confirm it would respect Palestinian statehood after its war on Gaza ends.
Israel withdrew its military and settlers from the Gaza Strip in 2005 after a 38-year occupation. Debate is ongoing over who will run the enclave following the end of the war that started after the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel does not intend to maintain a permanent presence again but insists that Israel will maintain security control for an indefinite period.
Israel’s international partners, led by the United States, have said a two-state solution is the only way that would guarantee security for both sides. Netanyahu, facing significant political pressure, is resisting, although he has not presented a clear plan of what his government envisages for the future.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that 12 ministers from Netanyahu’s Likud party attended the conference. His far-right coalition partners, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, reiterated calls for Palestinians to be removed from Gaza.
Smotrich said many of the children who were evacuated had returned as soldiers to fight in a war with Hamas. He said he stood against the government’s decision to evacuate Jewish settlements from Gaza in the past.
“We knew what that would bring and we tried to prevent it,” Smotrich said in a speech. “Without settlements, there is no security.”
The crowd roared with enthusiastic chants to rebuild the settlements.
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