Israeli Finance Minister Urges PM to Defy Supreme Court Order on Jenin Refugees

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz to instruct the IDF not to cooperate with a Supreme Court decision concerning the potential return of residents to the refugee camps in Jenin, Tul Karem, and Nur al-Shams. The court's ruling, issued Sunday, requested the state to present timelines for steps that would allow residents displaced during Operation Iron Shield to return to their homes. Smotrich vehemently criticized the justices, stating, "Three Supreme Court justices, Amit, Stein, and Kabub, are endangering Israel's security." He accused them of being irresponsible and ignorant of security matters, likening their intervention to pre-October 7th actions in Gaza and claiming they are enabling the rebuilding of "Arab terror infrastructure" in the northern West Bank.

The Supreme Court's decision came in response to a petition filed by residents of the refugee camps against the commander of IDF forces in Judea and Samaria, the Defense Minister, and the head of the Civil Administration. The court, including Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit and Justices Alex Stein and Khaled Kabub, noted that even after nearly two years since the start of Operation Iron Shield, security conditions still do not permit the residents' return. However, they asked the state to provide expected timelines for completing the necessary steps and to address the possibility of accelerating certain initiatives. The court also requested a response regarding the petitioners' claims about humanitarian aid for the local population, setting a deadline of November 23, 2026, for an update. It is important to note that the ruling did not mandate an immediate return of residents.

Smotrich views the decision as a dangerous interference with the IDF's security judgment and urged the political echelon to resist it. "I call on the Prime Minister and my colleague the Defense Minister to order the IDF not to cooperate with the court and not to allow the re-establishment of terror camps," he declared, asserting that "Israel's security is non-justiciable and is entrusted solely to those who bear responsibility and were elected for this purpose by the people." Smotrich further linked the ruling to the failures of October 7th, accusing the justices of being responsible for endangering national security and suggesting they should be the primary subjects of any future investigation. He concluded by reaffirming his commitment to judicial reform, stating, "We are determined to complete the reform in the Israeli judicial system and to fortify Israel's security for generations."