The Israeli army’s leadership has once again warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of the seriousness of statements made by some far-right ministers.
It warned of the fallout from recently enacted laws and the procedure adopted to expand settlements and convert the outposts into permanent settlements.
It said the already tense security situation could lead to a wider flare-up on the ground.
According to informed sources in Tel Aviv, army Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi conveyed this message during his first meeting with newly-appointed Defense minister Yoav Galant on Friday.
Israeli defense officials warned of escalation in the West Bank due to the changes to the army introduced by the new government, Haaretz reported.
The changes include the transfer of military powers to the heads of the far-right Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties – Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir.
According to Haaretz, there is a growing concern among army intelligence officials that conflicts in the West Bank will increase in the near future.
This is in “view of the internal processes within the Palestinian Authority and the new government's plans to make unilateral moves in the West Bank and the Temple Mount and with Arab citizens of Israel.”
Kohavi held talk with Netanyahu last week to express concern about the coalition's expected transfer of powers from the army to Smotrich and Ben-Gvir.
Kohavi, whose term will end on Jan.17, said these moves could change the face of the army and cause major security harm.
Under the coalition agreements, Smotrich will serve as finance minister as well as minister in the defense ministry and will gain control over the organization of operations in the occupied territories in the civil administration which manages Palestinian affairs, as well as the appointment of judicial advisors on all matters related to incidents in the occupied West Bank.
Meanwhile, Ben-Gvir will serve as national security minister and will have direct control over border guards, allowing him to influence orders on the ground and transfer guard units from the West Bank to the Negev and Galilee.
