The world is shocked by the violence of the clashes between Palestine and Israel that started on Oct. 7. This is the first time that the problems spanning 75 years are being weighed by the world public opinion in the context of such intense elements of violence. However, the events that broke out on Oct. 7 actually occurred as a result of the tensions escalated by the Benjamin Netanyahu administration, which is described as "the most radical government in Israel's history." In other words, although most doubted it would be this intense, the possibility of clashes between Palestine and Israel was expected.
During the intricate government formation process, the Israeli premier, a longstanding figure in the country's politics, incorporated radical right-wing figures into his Cabinet. The administration, featuring controversial figures like National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, primarily focuses on a judicial overhaul that shifts significant judicial power to the executive branch, backing continuous settlement expansion and curbing the rise of Arabs in Israeli politics.
Despite eliciting national and international reactions for its anti-democratic inclinations, this new government posed constraints on Netanyahu. Nevertheless, he exerted considerable efforts to implement the judicial reform, motivated by corruption investigations initiated against him. On the other hand, settlement policies in the West Bank continued to be implemented.
While the new government continued these practices, normalization initiatives in foreign policy, especially with Arab countries, continued. Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Bahrain, Sudan, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia are the countries where the Tel Aviv administration continues its normalization initiatives with the support of the U.S. While these normalization efforts continue, Netanyahu said: “We will carry out a revision in foreign relations: our voice will be heard in the world.”
He sent a message of change with his words. However, this change was not as positive as hoped. With the influence of the far-right figures that Netanyahu included in his Cabinet to form a government, a very undemocratic and, as recent developments show, a violent administration has been established in Israel.
The anti-democratic practices of Netanyahu's sixth Cabinet have created great concerns even in Israel's "old friend," the U.S. Different opinions have begun to arise in the Democratic Party against the attitudes and practices of Netanyahu's government. As a result, U.S. President Joe Biden expressed his concerns against Netanyahu on Feb. 12, 2023, with the following words: “The genius of American democracy and Israeli democracy is that they are both built on strong institutions, on checks and balances, on an independent judiciary.” It is even known that the large number of Israeli protesters who took to the streets against the unlawful and anti-democratic decisions of the new government in Israel during this period were supported by some groups in the U.S. The responses of Israeli politicians to the critical attitudes of the Biden government were not long in coming. Amichai Chikli, a member of the Israeli Cabinet, reacted to the Biden administration by saying "mind your own business."
As a result, the most extreme Israeli government has caused many countries in the world, especially the U.S., to maintain their relations with Tel Aviv at a "reasonable" distance. At this point, it is possible to say that the normalization initiatives attempted in recent years have not been carried out very efficiently.
The Biden government could not remain indifferent to the attacks carried out in Israel by the al-Qassam Brigades, known as the armed wing of the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, causing widespread reactions on social media and the world press. Afterward, Biden stood by Netanyahu, despite the many attacks carried out by Israel in Gaza, against schools, hospitals and religious places, causing the death of many civilians. Even though it was against the policies and practices of the Netanyahu government, the U.S. needed Israel more than ever in the Middle East because the effects of China, which is rising globally, were gradually spreading in the region. The inclusion of two key actors such as Saudi Arabia and Iran in BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), led by China and Russia, was on the agenda.
On the other hand, Iran and Saudi Arabia, which have not had diplomatic relations since 2015, started negotiations again with the mediation of China. While these developments faded the influence of the U.S. in the region, they were interpreted as developments that strengthened the Washington administration's global rival, China.
On the other hand, the presence of Hezbollah and Iran in the region is perceived as a major threat to Washington. For this reason, the U.S. had to somehow ensure the security of Israel, the only safe haven in the Middle East, to which it sends $3.8 billion in aid annually, even though there have been cold winds in its relations lately.
Hence, U.S. involvement in the Palestinian-Israeli conflicts, along with Biden's immediate visit to Israel and his declaration of support for Netanyahu, prompted reactions from Iran and Russia. In fact, during the early stages of the conflict, Iran's relations with Hamas occasionally came into focus. Biden even warned Iran not to intensify the conflict, as it could lead to their involvement.
On the other hand, Biden announced that additional military aid, including ammunition and interceptors, will be provided to renew the Israeli air defense system, known as the "Iron Dome." Additionally, the Pentagon announced it was directing the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and its accompanying cruisers and attack ships to Israel. In response to these developments, Putin said: "American aircraft carriers stationed in the Mediterranean are within the range of Russia's Kinjal hypersonic missiles in the Black Sea. I say this not as a threat, but as information. Just a reminder.” He clearly threatened the U.S. and Israel with his words.
As a result, Netanyahu regained the strong support of his ally, the U.S., with whom he had been at odds for a while due to his war with Hamas. However, it also faces great reactions from Russia, Iran and other Muslim states in the region. On the other hand, some states that have been making normalization efforts for a long time have come to the point of freezing their relations with Israel. For example, he announced that Saudi Arabia had shelved plans to normalize relations with U.S.-backed Israel and was rapidly reviewing its foreign policy priorities. The Riyadh administration even contacted Iran to discuss the developments.
While there is such a delicate balance in foreign policy, the presence of extremely radical Cabinet members in Netanyahu's government and their harsh attitudes toward Palestine strengthen the possibility that the problem will not be resolved in a short time. The involvement of other actors in the process with clear and harsh discourses on this issue creates the impression that diplomatic initiatives aimed at peace will be delayed.
In this case, the war seems to have served Netanyahu's interests, as he was able to both cover up internal tensions and push the legal processes against him to the background, even though many Israeli civilians lost their lives. For this reason, in order for the civilian population of Palestine and Israel to live in peace and for peace and stability to be established in the region, the most radical Israeli government in history and Netanyahu's rule must be ended.
Likewise, months ago, the public on the streets of Israel foresaw a deteriorating trajectory for the government.
*Co-director of TASAM African Institute based in Istanbul
