U.S. Denounces 'Provocative' Settlement Law, Slams Smotrich's 'Dangerous' Comments on Palestinians

The United States and other Israeli allies reacted harshly to Israel’s repeal of parts of the 2005 Disengagement Law on Monday, with foreign governments expressing concerns that the move will inflame tensions with the Palestinians and undermine prospects for a two-state solution.

In a late night session, the Knesset passed the legislation 31 to 18, voting to lift the ban on entering four West Bank settlements evacuated nearly two decades ago and allow Israelis to return to the Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim and Kadim settlements.

U.S. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel called the move "inconsistent with Israel's recent commitments to de-escalating Israeli Palestinian tensions. Just two days ago, Israel reaffirmed its commitment to stop discussion of any new settlements for four months and to stop authorization of any outposts for six months."

"At least one of these outposts in this area, Homesh, was built on private Palestinian land, which is illegal under Israeli law," Patel said, adding that the bill is "particularly provocative and counterproductive to restoring some measures of calm as we head into Ramadan, Passover and Easter holidays."

The move also represents "a clear contradiction of undertakings the Israeli government made to the United States," Patel said. "Nearly 20 years ago Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on behalf of Israel affirmed in writing to George W. Bush, that it committed to evacuate the settlement posts in the northern West Bank in order to stabilize the situation and reduce frictions."

"The U.S. strongly urges Israel to refrain from allowing the return of settlers to the area covered by the legislation consistent with both former Prime Minister Sharon and the current Israeli government's commitment to the United States," he continued. "The United States is extremely troubled that the Israeli Knesset has passed legislation rescinding important parts of the 2005 disengagement law."

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Referencing comments by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday that "there’s no such thing as a Palestinian people," Patel said "The latest comments by Mr. Smotrich, which were delivered at a podium adorned with an inaccurate and provocative map, are offensive. They are deeply concerning, and candidly, they're dangerous."

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman also conveyed Washington’s concern over the legislation in a meeting on Tuesday with Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog, the State Department said.

The U.S. has repeatedly expressed its opposition to settlement expansion. Ambassador Tom Nides last month asserted that the Biden administration will “not roll over or ignore actions we think are against our values” while Secretary of State Antony Blinken has directly informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he was opposed to policies that endanger the viability of a two-state solution.

Since the disengagement in 2005, which saw Israeli settlers removed from the Gaza Strip and parts of the northern West Bank, the law has barred Israeli citizens and residents from accessing the sites without the Israeli army's permission. Though the army has allowed visits to the settlements, it has officially prevented their reestablishment.

The spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, called the bill "an illegitimate decision that goes against all the decisions of the international community," and added "The Israeli government insists on violating and defying international law and intends to thwart efforts to prevent escalation."

Hamas also condemned the bill "that would allow Israeli colonial settlers to return to illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank from which they were evacuated as a step towards establishing new colonial settlements and seizing and Judaizing Palestinian lands."

“The decision undermines prospects for a two-state solution. At a time of increased sensitivity in the West Bank, we encourage the Government of Israel to take steps that reduce tension,” the British Embassy in Tel Aviv declared on Wednesday.

“Israel’s repeal of the 2005 Disengagement Law is worrying,” Australian Ambassador Ralph King tweeted, stating that “settlement activity undermines prospects for peace and risks inflaming tensions at a delicate time.”

The repeal of the disengagement law came only a day after Israel reaffirmed a pledge to temporarily freeze the construction of new West Bank settlements and the legalization of outposts following multilateral talks with a Palestinian delegation at a summit in Egypt.

First announced following a security summit in the Jordanian port city of Aqaba in February, the freeze was initially denied by Netanyahu and National Security Council Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, who said at the time that the government would not roll back its recent decision to legalize nine West Bank outposts and to build 9,500 additional housing units in the territories.

The repeal also came amid a rise in violence in Israel and the West Bank, which has seen a number of bombing and shooting attacks.

On Monday, Or Eshkar, a 32-year-old Israeli man who was seriously wounded in a shooting attack near a central Tel Aviv restaurant on March 9, died of his wounds in a Tel Aviv hospital.

The previous day, an Israeli American man in his 30s was seriously wounded in a shooting attack on his car on Sunday in the West Bank Palestinian town of Hawara.

Following the attack, the army deployed forces in the area, partly out of concern regarding retaliation by Jews, as occurred after the previous attack in the town last month in which two Israeli brothers were killed near the scene of Sunday's attack.

The latest incident prompted renewed calls by Jewish Israelis on social media to wipe out the Palestinian village. Elisha Yered, the spokesperson for Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har Hamelech, retweet a video that called for Hawara to be wiped out.