On February 9, the Israeli government reinforced the country’s sovereignty over Judea and Samaria – known internationally as the West Bank – by allowing Israelis to buy land there without any limitation. It also removed any difference between the three areas as had been defined in the Oslo Accords to allow the Palestinian Authority to have civilian jurisdiction in Areas A and B.
In many ways, this makes Judea and Samaria a new Israeli region, similar to Gush Dan or Shfela, thus preventing any territorial concession, let alone the creation of a Palestinian state living side-by-side with the State of Israel. Some top members of the coalition are actually claiming it.
This is indeed a clear victory for the far Right, deprived of a de jure annexation but granted another achievement toward a de facto one. Actually, it is better for them because a formal annexation would either impose major sanctions on Israel or force the country to make difficult choices, such as concerning the Palestinians’ status. The status quo is therefore likely to continue, with Palestinians deprived of Israeli citizenship, while Israelis will be able to develop their presence and buy land.
On the surface, Israel continues to be a thriving democracy (which it is inside the Green Line) without having to confront the legal and demographic complexities of a full annexation of the West Bank, and mainstream Israelis can still avoid dealing with this issue. International condemnations are real, even in Washington, but unlikely to cause major issues for Israel.
In reality, this victory for the Right in Israel represents a major risk for the State of Israel, with a vindication for Israel-haters who can now claim that their accusations of “Israeli apartheid” are rooted in reality.
With the erasure of the Green Line, the Jewish state can no longer point to Israeli members of Knesset as (real) proof of Israeli democracy, among many other elements.
If Judea and Samaria are becoming part of Israel, these regions’ democratic status, or lack thereof, becomes somewhat the status of the entire State of Israel. For example, were Florida to become a dictatorship, the United States could no longer claim to be a democracy.
Israel’s democracy has been under attack for three years now, with the government’s relentless attacks on the judiciary and the media. The final erasure of the Green Line would be another key element of this attack on democracy, with the end of the principle of “one man, one vote” that has defined Israeli democracy inside the Green Line since its creation, despite what its accusers are saying in the world.
Ironically, while the “Green Line” of the Tel Aviv light rail goes through Kikar Rabin in Tel Aviv, the erasure of the other Green Line would be the final nail in the coffin for Yitzhak Rabin’s legacy.
Thirty years after Rabin’s assassination, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s subsequent arrival to power, the current premier has not only killed the Oslo peace process but also the outcome that Rabin was aiming for, namely a separation from the Palestinians in order to preserve the democratic nature of the state and pave the way for a future peace.
In 2026, peace is clinically dead, and democracy is badly damaged, to the pleasure of Netanyahu’s far Right allies, the delight of Israel’s enemies, and the despair of its democratic allies and many Jews in the world.
The writer, born and raised in France, is the correspondent of French Jewish radio, Radio J, in the US, where he has been living for 16 years. He also holds US and Israeli citizenship. His opinions are his own.