Plan to rebuild occupied north fails again due to government conflicts
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Amid internal conflicts in the occupation government, the northern settlements continue to be neglected, raising criticism of Netanyahu's commitment to the North.
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Israeli occupation forces examine the site hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon, in Kiryat Shmona, northern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, March 27, 2024 (AP)
Israeli media revealed that a plan to rebuild the occupied North was supposed to be established in a session for the Israeli occupation government on Wednesday, however, due to constant internal conflicts between government officials, the proposal was once again dropped.
The failure to pass the plan came as the Northern Settlement Committees waited, as they had been doing for months, for the installment of governmental aid to rebuild their settlements.
Israeli media emphasized that the proposal was not agreed upon due to conflicts and quarrels between occupation ministries, with Security Minister Yoav Gallant saying, "Settling in the north is tied to what is happening in the South [Gaza], which should be resolved as well."
Responding to Gallant's statement were ministers from the Likud party, demanding him to "defeat Hamas before anything, and before speaking of settling [the North]."
According to Israeli media, a unified decision does not exist between the ministers in Netanyahu's government regarding the occupied north of Palestine. Reportedly, Gallant had requested the creation of a committee that would be responsible for northern settlements, but it was not formed.
Moreover, it has been repeatedly reported that Netanyahu's government is increasingly neglecting the occupied north, leaving settlements without any form of governmental assistance and money transfers.
On its part, the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth stated that the program, which would provide immediate assistance to the occupied north, including providing emergency responses to tens of thousands of settlers fleeing their settlements, would be postponed further.
Israelis in the North seek to partition, become 'State of Galilee'
On May 9, during a meeting of "Israel's" Conflict Zone Forum, the leaders of the Israeli northern settlements decided to announce the establishment of the State of Galilee and fully separate from "Israel".
According to Israeli news website Walla!, the step is set to be announced on so-called "Independence Day". The media website explained that their decision was reached after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's dismissive response to Benny Gantz's inquiry about settlers returning home for the school year, saying, "What would happen if they return a few months after September 1?"
This latest action follows the forum members' publication of protest advertisements in early April, where they publicly solicited bids to "locate the Israeli government."
As cited by Israeli media, the ads read, "A public tender to locate a government in Israel!" and, "The Conflict Zone Forum hereby invites proposals to be submitted to an alternative government in Israel as detailed in the tender documents."
Most significant was the ad which depicted the extent of the despair of Israeli settlers on the border with Lebanon that reads:
"The full details of the tender can be found in the evacuated hotels and the accommodation apartments of the displaced throughout the country, with the business owners who collapsed in the north, in the dead tourism areas in the north, and in the offices of the authorities in the north."
