The new Netanyahu right-wing and neo-liberal coalition will give settlers and their supporters more executive power than any previous government in Israel has until now.

According to Noam Sheizaf (+972 site): “With the Housing and Industry ministries in their hand, and political ally Moshe Ya’alon as the new defense minister, the settlers are very pleased by the new Netanyahu government.” Head of the Samaria region (the northern occupied West Bank) Gershon Mesika to the Ynet news site: “It does look a wet dream – Ya’alon on defense and Ariel on Housing.” The Ynet piece quotes other settler leaders who were extremely satisfied with the new coalition.

New construction taking place in the Beit El settlement, February 5, 2013 (Photo: Activestills)

The Jewish Home party (formally known as the National Religious Party) registered an all-time high of 12 seats in the last elections. The settlers also did very well in the internal Likud primaries, with many of their favorites – Moshe Feiglin, Tzipi Hotovely, Yariv Levin and Danny Danon – ranking in high places on the united Likud-Yisrael Beitenu list.

With the help of Yair Lapid, the neo-liberal leader who formed a pact with Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett during coalition negotiations, the settlers were able to fulfil two of their most important political goals: replacing Ehud Barak with a more hospitable defense minister, and taking over the Housing Ministry. The Defense Ministry is the final authority on all civilian projects in the West Bank, while the Housing Ministry can help speed up the bureaucratic process and finance projects in the occupied territories. The Housing Ministry has special importance in the right-wing effort to establish a Jewish presence in Palestinian neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem.