Challenges for Israel's Next Government

Settlement building under the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has put additional pressure on an already weak Fatah in the West Bank over the past three years. On Jan. 16, the Construction and Housing Ministry announced new tenders for the construction of 198 housing units in the West Bank. The Israeli government has limited room to maneuver in its policies on West Bank settlements; this, in addition to the country's changing domestic political environment, has both given rise to and will ultimately limit the Jewish Home party, which has proposed policy alternatives to peace negotiations with the Palestinians, including the annexation of the West Bank's Area C. Parties on the other side of the political spectrum, such as the Labor Party, have shifted their platforms' emphasis to focus almost exclusively on socio-economic issues. 

Because of challenges on Israel's periphery and internal political divisions, current settlement policies are likely to continue regardless of the makeup of Israel's next government. These policies, combined with Fatah's weakness in the West Bank, could trigger fresh violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians, creating a potential opportunity for Hamas.