Watan-Against the backdrop of a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former U.S. President Donald Trump, the “Otzma Yehudit” party, led by the resigned Minister of National Security, the far-right Itamar Ben Gvir, has introduced a new bill aimed at promoting the “voluntary migration” of Gaza residents.
Despite Ben Gvir’s resignation from the governing coalition in protest of a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, the bill is expected, according to the Ynet website, to pass at least a preliminary reading.
This proposal comes just days after a similar plan was announced by Trump, which sought to displace Gaza residents to Arab countries, particularly Egypt and Jordan. Arab states strongly rejected this idea in a recent meeting of foreign ministers. On the other hand, the proposal has been warmly received in Israel.
The bill argues that “there is a growing belief among many that the idea of establishing another Palestinian state in the entirety of the Land of Israel means the destruction of the State of Israel.” According to the bill, the term “another Palestinian state” refers to Jordan. The proposed law aims to “encourage the voluntary migration of Gaza residents. Those who choose to leave Gaza voluntarily will be required to sign a departure declaration that includes a commitment not to return.”
As part of the plan to promote and encourage this migration, the bill suggests that “after a certain period following their departure, they will be granted an economic aid package determined by the finance minister in consultation with the defense minister.” Additionally, guardians of minors will be required to sign a departure declaration on their behalf, pledging that they will not return.
The economic aid package is limited to Gazans “who have not been convicted of involvement in armed struggle and have not been arrested on suspicion of such activities.” If a Palestinian who receives this aid later seeks to return to Gaza, even if they were a minor at the time of their displacement, they would be required under the law to “repay double the amount of the aid package, along with cost-of-living adjustments and interest.”
Until they fulfill these conditions, they would be barred from entering Gaza, the West Bank (referred to as Judea and Samaria in the text), or Israel.
Additionally, the bill grants the defense minister and the finance minister the authority to establish the necessary regulations in consultation with each other.
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