Smotrich urges government not to cooperate with Israel’s High Court — Jerusalem Post

In Israel, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz to instruct the Israel Defense Forces not to cooperate with the High Court of Justice in a case concerning the return of Palestinians to their homes in the Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps in the West Bank. This was reported by the Jerusalem Post.

Court decision

The decision was made by Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit and Justices Alex Stein and Khaled Kabub following a petition by Palestinian residents and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel. The court noted that approximately one year and nine months had passed since the start of the military operation, but, according to the state, security conditions for the return of residents of the three camps had still not been met.

The court gave the state until November 23, 2026, to submit an additional update. It must include a timetable for completing the measures necessary for residents’ return, an assessment of the possibility of accelerating these measures, and a response to the petitioners’ claims regarding shortcomings in humanitarian aid to the local population.

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At the same time, the court did not order the immediate return of residents to the camps and did not require the Israel Defense Forces to withdraw troops from them.

Smotrich’s statement

Smotrich, who is also a minister in the Ministry of Defense and heads the Religious Zionism party, said that the return of residents could, in his view, lead to the restoration of terrorist infrastructure in the northern West Bank. He accused the three justices of creating a threat to Israel’s security.

The minister also said that decisions in the field of national security should, in his view, be made by the country’s elected leaders rather than the judiciary. At the end of his statement, he reiterated his intention to promote changes to Israel’s judicial system.