Increased violence targeting Palestinians under ultra-right Govt strains Israel’s relations with Arab countries, says experts

Chicago: Israeli relationship with neighbouring Arab countries is viewed to have been worsening due to the increased violence targeting Palestinians under the new coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The opinion was derived in a discussion hosted by the Middle East Institute in Chicago in which Israeli journalists, former diplomats and government ministers had taken part, according to a report published in Arab News.

According to them, the previously friendly situation with Arab countries, particularly those that signed the Abraham Accords, now seems to have been damaged. The discussion suggested that the first three months of the far-right government have been "chaotic," and its policies are "racist" and "disconnected from reality."

The ruling coalition that came to power in December has been accused of overseeing the violent suppression of Palestinian protests, resulting in the deaths of nearly 100 Palestinians as Israeli and settler raids have intensified across the occupied West Bank. One of the most brutal incidents occurred on February 27th in the Palestinian village of Huwara.

During the attack, armed settlers, claiming to seek revenge for a previous attack by Palestinians, carried out a violent, late-night rampage through the village, leaving one Palestinian dead and over 100 injured.

An Israeli panellist described the attack as a "pogrom," a term used to describe an organized massacre of a particular ethnic group. Despite increased tensions, the Israeli military took no action to intervene.

Barak Ravid, a veteran Middle East and diplomatic correspondent for Israeli media outlets, stated that the government was dysfunctional and chaotic during its first three months, and almost any step it took was a reaction to events rather than an initiative.

He also noted that the current government is the most far-right government in Israel's history, with key positions occupied by individuals who hold racist and Jewish-supremacist beliefs. Examples of such individuals include Itamir Ben Gvir, the minister of national security, and Mr. (Bezalel) Smotrich, the minister of finance, who have a significant impact on foreign relations and national security.

The panellists agreed that the violence in the West Bank has led to a rise in the number of Palestinians and Israelis killed, and has halted any progress towards further normalization agreements. This is particularly disappointing as it had dashed hopes for a potential agreement with Saudi Arabia, in addition to similar deals such as the Abraham Accords with Morocco, Bahrain, and the UAE.

According to Israel's former Minister of Diaspora Affairs, Nachman Shai, Netanyahu's coalition is aware that their actions are damaging relations with the Arab world, but they are indifferent to the consequences.

Shai pointed out that the coalition was well-informed about their actions, such as allowing Minister Ben Gvir on the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque) and statements made by coalition members and government ministers. Shai also expressed his dismay at the "Huwara pogrom" incident, describing it as a tragedy that disrupted relationships with the United States, the Jewish community, and the world, particularly with the Arab world.