Likud officials say that the growing international criticism of their massive settlement expansion plans are “good for the party,” and that they believe that they will gain considerably in the upcoming election for it.
Top Likud officials say that the question of settlement growth has provided an ideal dividing line between Israel’s left and right, and has also sewn dissent in the various opposition parties, many of whom fear coming out too publicly against the settlements.
Indeed, the settlements are seen as such a winning issue in the election that many in the even-farther-right are attacking Likud as “soft” on the settlements, lashing them for not growing faster, and are seeing gains in recent polls.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for his part, is trying to shift his position even further to the right on settlements, insisting it is Israel’s inherent right to expand the settlements and that he’s “not interested” in hearing the UN complain about it.
This is the consequence of the US overprotection. We should not have vetoed the last time the Security Council voted on settlements, and we should not have stopped them doing it again this week. The crazies must be stopped, and they won't as long as we shelter them from all consequences.
The real question is are they just doing the settler activity for the election (as usual), or will it continue afterward?