It seems he’s stalling on annexation, too. Explainer: Israel’s annexation plan for occupied West Bank. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told Netanyahu's aides at a meeting of the U.S.-Israeli mapping committee that is examining potential areas that could be annexed, that "the U.S. wants to implement a peace plan, not an annexation plan". That’s at the general level. Is it a matter of issue, like an order? So since we don’t have a precise definition of annexation, it can basically be anything that Netanyahu dreams it to be? Creeping annexation refers to the gradual process by which Israel expands its control over the West Bank. There are people who genuinely believe that the Palestinians will be satisfied with some small amount of the West Bank. That’s a really vague answer, but it’s a question I’m struggling with myself. But then that date came and went, and annexation didn’t happen. Share in Twitter. I want to talk a bit about the domestic politics of this. And all of a sudden, after 20 years, the heartland of the Jewish people and Jewish history and Jewish religious aspects, all of that now is suddenly under Israeli sovereignty, and Israelis can actually go touch the Western Wall, their closest connection to the Old Temple. Yisrael Beytenu supports redrawing the borders in order to keep as many Jews as possible within the Jewish state while transferring some Israeli Arab towns to the Palestinian state, with some Jewish settlements in the West Bank to be annexed to Israel. [23] The Jewish Home party's official position is in support of annexing Area C alone, although some of its MKs support annexation of the entire West Bank. What about the Palestinian response? But is the Israeli public generally supportive of the move, or is it much more divided than it appears? First of all, the ambiguity creates space for the Israeli government under Netanyahu to get away with almost anything. The areas earmarked for annexation (the precise contours of which are being mapped by Israel and the US) may comprise about 30% of the West Bank, according to reports. [31] However, both parties support annexation of the settlement blocs after a permanent resolution of the conflict has been negotiated. It got harder than Netanyahu thought it would be. Annexation of the West Bank, or parts thereof, has been proposed by some Israeli politicians since the area was captured and occupied by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. Why is talk of formal annexation happening right now? [6], In 2020, on the eve of plans to go forward with a form of annexation, leading figures in the British Jewish establishment, but not the Board of Deputies of British Jews, signed a letter stating that any such annexation would be an 'existential threat' both to Israel and Zionists in Great Britain, and have grave consequences for the Palestinians. The Israel Democracy Institute has good polling data. That now becomes the new norm. According to OCHA there are about 300,000 Palestinians in Area C[21] (B'tselem estimates between 180 and 300,000)[22] compared to some 2.8 million in Areas A and B. Those who believe that Israeli sovereignty should extend to some part of the West Bank, or believe that the West Bank belongs to Israel in some way, obviously they are very constant with the idea that either there shouldn’t be a two-state solution or that the Palestinians will be happy with some percentage of the West Bank and that’s fine. Netanyahu says West Bank annexation plans still ‘on the table’ Israeli PM says there is no change in his plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank despite a deal with the UAE. If you have the backing of the world’s most powerful country, then you do it. But to do that, they then end up building roads and infrastructure to hook those homes up to Israel proper. Second, of course, is Trump. He’s been saying, since he ran against Shimon Peres in 1996, that he is better for Israel’s security, better for the Jews, in part, not just because he’ll protect them but because he does believe in a stronger, more sovereign Israel that includes the West Bank or parts of the West Bank. ", The delay-ridden agony of shopping at West Elm. ", "Netanyahu Hints Trump Peace Plan Will Allow Israel to Annex Key West Bank Territory", "Netanyahu vows to annex all settlements, starting with Jordan Valley", "Netanyahu seeks to annex parts of West Bank 'in coordination' with U.S.", "Netanyahu's Jordan Valley sovereignty vow widely panned by politicians as 'spin, "UNOCHA occupied Palestinian territory - Profile", "What are areas A, B, and C of the occupied West Bank? Netanyahu had declared his intention to move forward with the partial annexation of the West Bank, under the auspices of the US peace plan, from July 1, … And then that was replaced by this miracle: Israel didn’t just win [the 1967 war], but it was a stunning victory. Changes in government and governmental powers . I don’t have a good answer for myself, so I can’t give you one. There have been other plans that say, “Let’s deal with these questions now, the final-status questions, the questions about statehood, and so on. "Netanyahu announces post-election plan to annex Jordan Valley", "Netanyahu isn't bluffing about his plans to annex the Jordan Valley – but will he succeed? But perhaps if annexation has already happened, there’s probably little Biden could do to reverse it. Around 2012-2013, there was a moment when Netanyahu had been pressured not to completely leave the West Bank but to put in place a series of concessions that really would have changed the game. So it has kind of left foreign policy alone, except for Trump’s intermittent pronouncements on foreign affairs. But at this point, it’s not really an option for the political right in Israel. Yes, although I would add one more point to that. [43], Proposals to assume sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory, Israeli law has been applied to Israeli settlements throughout the West Bank, September 2019 Israeli legislative election, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel, United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, Status of territories occupied by Israel in 1967, "Israeli annexation of parts of the Palestinian West Bank would break international law – UN experts call on the international community to ensure accountability", "Annexing the West Bank Is a Brazen Violation of International Law", "Rights experts call for global opposition to Israel's annexation plans", "From annexation to right of return: What the parties say about the Palestinians", "Israel's New Plan to Annex the West Bank: What Happens Next? I think Netanyahu has since then become more and more bold in promoting the idea of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank. And if that’s the Israeli perspective, how do Palestinians see it? Gantz, whose support Netanyahu needs to move forward, is also urging patience, suggesting Israel deal with its own growing coronavirus outbreak first. In recent discussions, Netanyahu has reportedly floated the idea of annexing 30% of the West Bank, along with other options including "a more symbolic annexation of a … "[19] Several Israeli politicians from across the political spectrum and Hebrew media outlets described this announcement as a political stunt for votes, with the former chief of staff and opposition Blue and White MK Moshe Ya'alon saying that Netanyahu had been prepared to evacuate Jordan Valley settlements in 2014. What that has done is, in part, made the Palestinians dependent on Israel. So that ambiguity, I think, is really problematic and dangerous. And the Trump plan, for example — I wouldn’t call it a peace plan — lays out specific areas. But peace talks have stalled for years, and there is no deal anywhere on the horizon. Health care and rent are next. Even though the two parties share a lot of right-wing ideology, they’re not exactly the same. What we’ve also seen is that when it comes to really substantive issues, Trump likes to say things, and he will sometimes lend his support to ideas or policies that fit with his general ideas, but he doesn’t always put the whole weight of the administration behind him because that’s just how he makes policy — or more aptly, that’s how he doesn’t make policy. He’s got the support of the US ambassador to Israel. But he presented himself as such, and said, “We’re going to stand for all these different things, none of which could possibly include Netanyahu.” Yet in the end, he goes with Netanyahu. Tzipi Livni, leader of the centrist Hatnuah party, also said that Hatnuah would leave the coalition in the event of annexation. Almost 50 UN human rights experts have condemned Israel's plan to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank, calling it a vision of "21st Century apartheid.". On something like annexation, they’re not going to launch a war against Israel, like the old paradigm of conflict used to be. But we also see specific responses often change. It is possible they could pressure Israel through the United States, through Europe, or on their own, in the UN and other places. And so people who will participate in the political arena or people who vote are aware of this. They’d talk about family members living in extensive areas of Israel, but they actually meant people living in West Bank settlements. Under the two-state framework historically supported by the United States and the international community, the vast bulk of the West Bank would be returned to the Palestinians. According to the Israel Policy Forum, “annexation refers to the formal integration of all or part of the West Bank into Israel” [2]. [42] Gantz also announced that he would prefer that the Israeli government deal with the COVID-19 pandemic first. [14][15] Netanyahu's map is only a slightly revised version of the Allon Plan map, with the key difference being that the Palestinians are no longer offered access to the international border with Jordan. I think he was more open to negotiation. That is apartheid. What will be surprising is if he flat-out said, “No. And from the Israeli perspective — or maybe Netanyahu’s perspective — how nerve-racking is Trump’s waffling? Because it would seem Trump is the window of opportunity. Hundreds of European Parliamentarians Protest Israel's 'De Facto Annexation'. That becomes very disappointing, and it looks like he’s just saying, “Yep, I’ll just do what I need to do to stay in power.”. Is there a potential for real violence? The blocs comprise 345 square kilometers, or about 7% of the West Bank. That’s kind of been his rallying cry ever since he got involved in national politics. Share in WhatsApp. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I imagine if Joe Biden were to win in November, the circumstances would change radically. We asked shoppers about pandemic furniture delays. For some people, it’s a nonpolitical term because it doesn’t refer to anyone’s claim to the land. Israel would annex part of the West Bank, and the Palestinians would get some part of Israel. But there’s only so far that can go. Most no longer worry about their own risk of Covid-19. So the former? [42] The same day, U.S. sources confirmed that West Bank annexation would not start by the planned July 1 deadline as well. Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all. Given this ambiguity, do we actually know how formal annexation could happen? 10 things to know about West Bank annexation D-Day NATIONAL AFFAIRS: Here are ten things to know about Israel's first major expansion of its sovereign borders in almost 40 years. So there’s no willpower or interest in confronting Israel anymore. Secondly, it would violate the vision of a two-state solution set forth in the Oslo Accords. [35] In November, it declared that it did not consider the settlements illegal, but asked Israel to refrain from annexation before the release of the Trump peace plan. In theory, annexation can mean anything. [34] The Trump administration had earlier recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 2018 and recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel in March 2019. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, of the Blue and White party, averted another election, but the deal also laid out a plan for annexation of parts of the West Bank as soon as July 1. He views Netanyahu as older, as someone who had his chance but who doesn’t have the same level of vitality anymore. They have choices, depending on their view, but again, the bulk of their choices all support what we now call annexation to one degree or another. At what point do we say that the occupation has become permanent? I mean, it depends on what Netanyahu wants to do. Even if it does something really small and says, “We have now annexed this,” they’ve moved the goalposts and created language that actually embeds annexation into the discourse. I guess an obvious place to start is: What is the West Bank? 27% wanted to annex the entire West Bank including 16% who opposed granting political rights to Palestinians and 11% who favored granting political rights. And that is — I don’t know if you’ve heard the term “creeping annexation”? If Israel does move for formal annexation, what might the reaction be? For him, that might well be enough. He’s a partner with Netanyahu. If you bring in scenarios, if you mention specific settlements or specific areas, it changes depending on how you ask it. So I’m really not hopeful. Got the vaccine? And then finally, I think, you have Netanyahu. There is almost no other game in town. I think there’s probably a convergence of factors. I don’t believe that they are expecting Trump to stand firm. 08/07/2020 - On July 7, the Foreign ministers of Germany, France, Egypt and Jordan held an important discussion on the risks linked to the unilateral annexation of parts of the West Bank. In fact, it was supposed to officially happen as soon as July 1. When he first came to power — not in his first term, but around his second and maybe third term — he was a little bit more pragmatic. And so, as a general rule — and polling data does bear this out — most Israeli Jews see the West Bank as part of Jewish history and heritage, part of its religious history. So all those factors converged for annexation to start on July 1. All that. For major decisions or changes in law, he would need the support of the Knesset [Israel’s parliament]. So there is this longstanding level of institutional interaction. Plan to apply Israeli law in West Bank: Equal rights or ‘creeping annexation’? Benny Gantz sees himself as prime minister material. Part of that is because of decisions that they have made over time. Facebook will push you to read articles before you share them, The company says it wants to promote "more informed sharing. I would say there is a lot Biden could do to reverse course, but it’s unlikely he would do it. It might not be, “We are now going to choose to occupy 50 percent of the West Bank.” It might be, “We are now formally going to annex these settlements,” or the Jordan Valley, or even some smaller step. [17][18], The next day, there was international condemnation of the proposal from Palestinians, the Arab League, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, the UK and the UN, the latter stating "..that any Israeli move to impose its administration over the Palestinian territory would be illegal under international law. I guess the answer is yes — but it’s not a new thing. And, again, you pointed out all these calculations that Netanyahu has to make, and I think that part of it is that he does genuinely believe that Israel has a right to this land, and he believes he has a role to play in getting Israel to that point. Everything that I just said is the case, but the bigger problem is that creeping annexation has been taking place since 1967. [5] Leading up to the April 2019 elections, the New Right party, led by Naftali Bennett, Israeli foreign minister and Ayelet Shaked, justice minister, advocated for the unilateral annexation of Area C. Bennett estimates that his plan would involve offering Israeli citizenship to some 80,000 Palestinians living in Area C, which contradicts the UN estimate of 297,000 Palestinians in Area C.[24], Caroline Glick, a New Right MK candidate in the April 2019 elections, supports annexation of the entire West Bank.