Benjamin Netanyahu promises to annex part of Palestine when he wins elections – 04/07/2019

In a last attempt to avoid the flight of votes to the other right-wing parties, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised Saturday night that if he wins the elections on Tuesday, annex for Israel at least part of the occupied Palestinian territories, where the international community is determined to create the future Palestinian state.

"Until recently, Netanyahu remained cautious about formal annexation, preferring small steps reinforcing the colony's bond with Israel, preferring to leave open space in the West Bank for a future deal with the Palestinians," he explained. today the badyst Aluf Benn. personal diary Haaretz.

"But under the electoral pressure and increasing dependence on its right-wing partners, while a decision on his imputation for corruption arrives, Netanyahu changed direction and began to suggest support for annexation supported by the United States"said the reporter.

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Washington's recent recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Syrian Golan Heights (occupied by the country in 1967 and annexed in 1981) without recognition from the international community), has given wings to groups calling for Israeli sovereignty to be extended to the West Bank, or at least to large blocks of Jewish settlements.

The parties to the right of Netanyahu's Likud, such as the new right, Zehut or the Union of Right-wing parties, are clearly betting on the annexation of the so-called Area C peace agreements of Oslo, which it covers 60% of the West Bank and where the majority of settlers live.

Many Likud members also support the annexation of at least part of this territory and the party's Central Committee has explicitly asked for it in 2017, but Netanyahu has never bet so clearly in public about it.

Last night, however, in an interview, he asked why, during his ten years as head of government, he had not annexed the Maale Adumim (near Jerusalem) colony and the settlement bloc. Gush Etzion (between Jerusalem and Bethlehem), he replied: "Who says I'm not going to do it?"

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After highlighting the American recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, he said: "We will continue with the next phase, yes, I will extend sovereignty."

"I do not distinguish between settlement blocs and isolated settlements, because each settlement is Israeli, and I will not give it up to Palestinian sovereignty," he said. He promised that he would not divide Jerusalem, evacuate any settlements and guarantee that "Israel controls the territory located to the west of the (river) Jordan."

He also stated that he had made it clear to US President Donald Trump that he was not willing to take "no one person" settlements located in occupied territory.

All these problems would make it impossible to create a viable and independent Palestinian State.

According to a recent survey, 42% of the Israeli population is in favor of a form of annexation in the West Bank. A position occupied not only by the right-wing citizens, but also by the voters of the center-left bloc.

The badyst Sever Plocker described today in the newspaper Yediot Aharonot this situation in the fact that "the middle clbad turned right".

"The center-right bloc has replaced the aspiration to end the occupation (consenting to a sovereign, contiguous and viable Palestinian nation-state), through the concept of" separation ", which designates a government limited Palestinian civil war in parts of Judea and Samaria (West Bank), exclusive control of the Israeli army over most of the territory and the annexation of 8 to 80% of the territory"said Plocker.

Victor Kattan, an expert from the Middle East, warns that annexation "would be disastrous for Palestinians" and also "extremely detrimental to Israel". Netanyahu knows it, but he also knows that his constituents have moved to the right and that Trump will support you anyway", I enjoyed today in Haaretz.

The possible annexation also has detractors, such as the so-called Movement of Commanders for the Security of Israel, a non-partisan group of about three hundred former generals and senior intelligence officers who said last night that this decision, even partial, It would be "a national disaster".

"It is clear that the plan is not intended to stay in the drawer: the annexation is there and will bring a binational state with 2.6 million Palestinians who will live where they want in Israel and will move without restrictions. " Health, education and well-being: we will pay At the price, this disaster must be stopped before it is too late, "the group warned in a statement.

Palestinians said they were not surprised by Netanyahu's promise to his constituents and Palestine Liberation Organization Secretary-General Saeb Erekat warned that Israel "will continue to shamelessly violate international law as long as the international community continues to reward it with impunity".

EFE Agency.

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