28 may 2020
David Friedman, John Bolton and Benjamin Netanyahu in the Jordan Valley
In an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper, PM said Palestinians in the Jordan Valley, including residents of the city of Jericho, would remain under limited Palestinian self-rule, with Israel having security control
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Palestinians living in the Jordan Valley will remain in what he described as an "enclave" after Israel annexes the territory and will not be granted Israeli citizenship.
Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with plans to annex the Jordan Valley and Jewish settlements in theWest Bank, in line with President Donald Trump's Middle East plan, a process that could begin as early as July 1.
The annexation of the Jordan Valley and the far-flung settlements would make it virtually impossible to create a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel, which is still widely seen as the only way to resolve the decades-old conflict.
In an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper, Netanyahu said Palestinians in the Jordan Valley, including residents of the city of Jericho, would remain under limited Palestinian self-rule, with Israel having overall security control.
"They will remain a Palestinian enclave," he said. "You're not annexing Jericho. There's a cluster or two. You don't need to apply sovereignty over them.
They will remain Palestinian subjects, if you will. But security control also applies to these places."
The Trump plan would grant the Palestinians limited statehood over scattered enclaves surrounded by Israel if they meet a long list of conditions. Israel has embraced the plan, while the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, has angrily rejected it and cut ties with the U.S. and Israel.
Netanyahu said that if the Palestinians accept all the conditions in the plan, including Israel maintaining overall security control, "then they will have an entity of their own that President Trump defines as a state."
Under a coalition agreement reached last month, Netanyahu can bring his annexation plans before the government as early as July 1.
The Palestinian Authority has said it is no longer bound by any agreements signed with Israel and the U.S., and says it has cut off security coordination with Israel.
Neighboring Jordan, a close Western ally and one of only two Arab states to have made peace with Israel, has warned of a "massive conflict" if Israel proceeds with annexation.
In an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper, PM said Palestinians in the Jordan Valley, including residents of the city of Jericho, would remain under limited Palestinian self-rule, with Israel having security control
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Palestinians living in the Jordan Valley will remain in what he described as an "enclave" after Israel annexes the territory and will not be granted Israeli citizenship.
Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with plans to annex the Jordan Valley and Jewish settlements in theWest Bank, in line with President Donald Trump's Middle East plan, a process that could begin as early as July 1.
The annexation of the Jordan Valley and the far-flung settlements would make it virtually impossible to create a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel, which is still widely seen as the only way to resolve the decades-old conflict.
In an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper, Netanyahu said Palestinians in the Jordan Valley, including residents of the city of Jericho, would remain under limited Palestinian self-rule, with Israel having overall security control.
"They will remain a Palestinian enclave," he said. "You're not annexing Jericho. There's a cluster or two. You don't need to apply sovereignty over them.
They will remain Palestinian subjects, if you will. But security control also applies to these places."
The Trump plan would grant the Palestinians limited statehood over scattered enclaves surrounded by Israel if they meet a long list of conditions. Israel has embraced the plan, while the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, has angrily rejected it and cut ties with the U.S. and Israel.
Netanyahu said that if the Palestinians accept all the conditions in the plan, including Israel maintaining overall security control, "then they will have an entity of their own that President Trump defines as a state."
Under a coalition agreement reached last month, Netanyahu can bring his annexation plans before the government as early as July 1.
The Palestinian Authority has said it is no longer bound by any agreements signed with Israel and the U.S., and says it has cut off security coordination with Israel.
Neighboring Jordan, a close Western ally and one of only two Arab states to have made peace with Israel, has warned of a "massive conflict" if Israel proceeds with annexation.
8 may 2020
Now that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has secured a new term in office, there seems to be little to prevent him from annexing the Jordan Valley and large parts of the West Bank as early as this summer.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has a friendly ally in the White House and support in the new Knesset for his long-promised goal. An expected visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo next week could provide the first indications of his intentions.
For now, Netanyahu appears set on moving forward. His new coalition agreement allows him to present an annexation proposal to the government as soon as July 1. In a speech last month, Netanyahu said he was confident he would be able to annex West Bank lands this summer, with support from the U.S.
The Palestinians claim the entire West Bank, captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, as the heartland of an independent state. Annexing chunks of this territory would likely deal a death blow to faded Palestinian hopes of a two-state solution. Annexation also would anger the international community, which overwhelmingly supports Palestinian statehood.
Fear of harsh international censure might help explain why Netanyahu hasn't tried to annex territory in his years in power - even while boosting Jewish settlement expansion there.
Those calculations gradually changed after Donald Trump was elected U.S. president in 2016. Surrounded by a team of pro-settlement advisers, Trump delivered diplomatic gifts that Netanyahu never could have imagined under previous administrations.
Trump's Mideast plan envisions handing 30% of the West Bank, including Israel's dozens of settlements, to permanent Israeli control, while conditionally offering the Palestinians limited statehood - with Israel retaining overall security control - in the remaining territory. The Palestinians have rejected the plan, and it has received little international support.
After the plan's White House launch in January, Netanyahu said he would move ahead quickly with annexation plans, only to be reined in by the Trump administration, which said a joint committee should map out areas to be annexed.
With Netanyahu's new government expected to be sworn in next week, both sides appear ready to move forward.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom this week that the U.S. is ready to recognize annexation in the coming weeks if Israel so chooses.
Oded Revivi, a leader of the Yesha settlers' council, urged Netanyahu to take advantage of the narrow window of opportunity ahead of November's presidential election. The presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, is unlikely to support the initiative.
"I would like to see Israeli law being applied according to the Trump deal, in order to give it a chance," Revivi said.
Annexation would offer benefits to both sides. Netanyahu could solidify his hard-line legacy and shore up support with his nationalist base. It also would give Trump a welcome accomplishment to rally pro-Israel supporters, particularly among politically powerful evangelical voters.
Nonetheless, Netanyahu faces obstacles at home and abroad.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who oversees autonomous enclaves in the West Bank, has warned he would annul past agreements with Israel in response to annexation. This could mean the collapse of Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation, a relationship valued by Israel as an added layer of protection against attacks by terrorists.
Annexation could also trigger a fundamental shift in Palestinian aspirations - from setting up an independent state in parts of the Holy Land to struggling for equal rights and full citizenship in a single state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.
Such a bi-national state would conflict with Israel's founding ethos as a homeland for the Jewish people.
"Israel and the U.S. will take full responsibility for the consequences if the annexation decision is implemented," said Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh.
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, last month said annexation would be a "serious violation" of international law and the EU will "act accordingly." Last week, 11 European ambassadors reportedly registered a diplomatic protest over the annexation plan.
Hugh Lovatt, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said he expected the EU and its member states "to go beyond mere condemnations" if annexation takes place.
He said it will be difficult to take unanimous action because of differences within the 27-member bloc but that individual states, led by France, could take action on their own.
Israeli annexation would also jeopardize Israel's recent progress in normalizing ties with the Arab world, especially Persian Gulf states that have been open to Israeli overtures as they try to curb the influence of Iran, a regional power and shared foe.
At least publicly, though, Arab leaders lambasted annexation.
On Tuesday, the state-run Saudi Press Agency, reporting on a Cabinet meeting chaired by King Salman, said the kingdom "stood steadfast by the side of the Palestinian people."
Arab foreign ministers last week condemned Netanyahu's plan as a "new war crime" and urged the U.S. not to back it, saying it "undermines any chances for peace in the region."
The foreign ministers of Jordan and Egypt warned annexation would jeopardize Palestinian statehood. The two countries have peace deals and discreet security ties with Israel.
The Israeli coalition deal says the parties must take into account regional stability and existing peace agreements as they weigh annexation. That could lead Netanyahu's main partner, the centrist Blue & White party, to withhold its support.
On the other hand, far-right lawmakers, including members of the coalition, might ironically oppose annexation because they reject the Trump plan's support for a watered-down Palestinian state.
Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, said that with so many potential obstacles, he believes Netanyahu hasn't made up his mind and might still call off annexation.
"It will very much depend on Mr. Netanyahu if he wants to raise it all," he said.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has a friendly ally in the White House and support in the new Knesset for his long-promised goal. An expected visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo next week could provide the first indications of his intentions.
For now, Netanyahu appears set on moving forward. His new coalition agreement allows him to present an annexation proposal to the government as soon as July 1. In a speech last month, Netanyahu said he was confident he would be able to annex West Bank lands this summer, with support from the U.S.
The Palestinians claim the entire West Bank, captured by Israel from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, as the heartland of an independent state. Annexing chunks of this territory would likely deal a death blow to faded Palestinian hopes of a two-state solution. Annexation also would anger the international community, which overwhelmingly supports Palestinian statehood.
Fear of harsh international censure might help explain why Netanyahu hasn't tried to annex territory in his years in power - even while boosting Jewish settlement expansion there.
Those calculations gradually changed after Donald Trump was elected U.S. president in 2016. Surrounded by a team of pro-settlement advisers, Trump delivered diplomatic gifts that Netanyahu never could have imagined under previous administrations.
Trump's Mideast plan envisions handing 30% of the West Bank, including Israel's dozens of settlements, to permanent Israeli control, while conditionally offering the Palestinians limited statehood - with Israel retaining overall security control - in the remaining territory. The Palestinians have rejected the plan, and it has received little international support.
After the plan's White House launch in January, Netanyahu said he would move ahead quickly with annexation plans, only to be reined in by the Trump administration, which said a joint committee should map out areas to be annexed.
With Netanyahu's new government expected to be sworn in next week, both sides appear ready to move forward.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom this week that the U.S. is ready to recognize annexation in the coming weeks if Israel so chooses.
Oded Revivi, a leader of the Yesha settlers' council, urged Netanyahu to take advantage of the narrow window of opportunity ahead of November's presidential election. The presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, is unlikely to support the initiative.
"I would like to see Israeli law being applied according to the Trump deal, in order to give it a chance," Revivi said.
Annexation would offer benefits to both sides. Netanyahu could solidify his hard-line legacy and shore up support with his nationalist base. It also would give Trump a welcome accomplishment to rally pro-Israel supporters, particularly among politically powerful evangelical voters.
Nonetheless, Netanyahu faces obstacles at home and abroad.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who oversees autonomous enclaves in the West Bank, has warned he would annul past agreements with Israel in response to annexation. This could mean the collapse of Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation, a relationship valued by Israel as an added layer of protection against attacks by terrorists.
Annexation could also trigger a fundamental shift in Palestinian aspirations - from setting up an independent state in parts of the Holy Land to struggling for equal rights and full citizenship in a single state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean.
Such a bi-national state would conflict with Israel's founding ethos as a homeland for the Jewish people.
"Israel and the U.S. will take full responsibility for the consequences if the annexation decision is implemented," said Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh.
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, last month said annexation would be a "serious violation" of international law and the EU will "act accordingly." Last week, 11 European ambassadors reportedly registered a diplomatic protest over the annexation plan.
Hugh Lovatt, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said he expected the EU and its member states "to go beyond mere condemnations" if annexation takes place.
He said it will be difficult to take unanimous action because of differences within the 27-member bloc but that individual states, led by France, could take action on their own.
Israeli annexation would also jeopardize Israel's recent progress in normalizing ties with the Arab world, especially Persian Gulf states that have been open to Israeli overtures as they try to curb the influence of Iran, a regional power and shared foe.
At least publicly, though, Arab leaders lambasted annexation.
On Tuesday, the state-run Saudi Press Agency, reporting on a Cabinet meeting chaired by King Salman, said the kingdom "stood steadfast by the side of the Palestinian people."
Arab foreign ministers last week condemned Netanyahu's plan as a "new war crime" and urged the U.S. not to back it, saying it "undermines any chances for peace in the region."
The foreign ministers of Jordan and Egypt warned annexation would jeopardize Palestinian statehood. The two countries have peace deals and discreet security ties with Israel.
The Israeli coalition deal says the parties must take into account regional stability and existing peace agreements as they weigh annexation. That could lead Netanyahu's main partner, the centrist Blue & White party, to withhold its support.
On the other hand, far-right lawmakers, including members of the coalition, might ironically oppose annexation because they reject the Trump plan's support for a watered-down Palestinian state.
Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, said that with so many potential obstacles, he believes Netanyahu hasn't made up his mind and might still call off annexation.
"It will very much depend on Mr. Netanyahu if he wants to raise it all," he said.
7 may 2020
Head of the Yesha Council, David Elhayani, and the head of the Shomron Regional Council, Yossi Dagan
Settler's leaders came out Thursday against U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East, arguing that it includes the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The heads of the Yesha Council (an umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank) warn Washington is not being forthcoming about its intentions.
“[U.S.] government officials are working to advance Plan A, but are secretly working to advance Plan B. There is no bigger scam,” said David Elhayani, the Yesha Council chairman.
Settler leaders say they are worried that the price Israel would be required to pay for extending its authority over West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley would be the establishment of a Palestinian state.
In fact, Elhayani said that "a Palestinian state would be established on 70 percent of the territory of the West Bank.”
"While the county is preoccupied with the coronavirus, the U.S. government is preparing the ground for the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state and the well-oiled American public information machine will not stop for a moment as it tries to advance Trump's peace plan in any way possible.
There is a lot of text in the plan meant to confuse the public,” Elhayani said.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Wednesday that he travel to Israel for a brief visit next week, during which he would meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue & White Chairman Benny Gantz.
Pompeo is expected to discuss the Israeli annexation promised by Netanyahu in his election campaign and tacitly agreed to by his coalition partner Gantz.
Both Israel and the United States have yet to complete the mapping of the areas that may be annexed as required in the proposed peace plan.
Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, also condemned what he said were the administration's true intentions.
"We will not agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of the sovereignty process," he said.
"Sovereignty is an important thing for Israel's security, but it is not worth risking even one centimeter of Israeli land by the establishment of a terrorist state in the heart of the country."
Dagan added that despite the warm relationship with the Americans, the decision to go ahead with annexation has nothing to do with Washington.
"David Friedman [the United States Ambassador to Israel] is a warm and loving Jew," Dagan said. "I know him, and I understand that he is doing everything possible to safeguard Israel's interests. But with all the appreciation I have for Friedman, no American ambassador should worry about us. We chose Netanyahu, not the Americans. "
Friedman said on Wednesday that the Israeli government's intention to extend its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank is in line with U.S. policy.
Settler's leaders came out Thursday against U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East, arguing that it includes the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The heads of the Yesha Council (an umbrella organization of municipal councils of Jewish settlements in the West Bank) warn Washington is not being forthcoming about its intentions.
“[U.S.] government officials are working to advance Plan A, but are secretly working to advance Plan B. There is no bigger scam,” said David Elhayani, the Yesha Council chairman.
Settler leaders say they are worried that the price Israel would be required to pay for extending its authority over West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley would be the establishment of a Palestinian state.
In fact, Elhayani said that "a Palestinian state would be established on 70 percent of the territory of the West Bank.”
"While the county is preoccupied with the coronavirus, the U.S. government is preparing the ground for the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state and the well-oiled American public information machine will not stop for a moment as it tries to advance Trump's peace plan in any way possible.
There is a lot of text in the plan meant to confuse the public,” Elhayani said.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Wednesday that he travel to Israel for a brief visit next week, during which he would meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue & White Chairman Benny Gantz.
Pompeo is expected to discuss the Israeli annexation promised by Netanyahu in his election campaign and tacitly agreed to by his coalition partner Gantz.
Both Israel and the United States have yet to complete the mapping of the areas that may be annexed as required in the proposed peace plan.
Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, also condemned what he said were the administration's true intentions.
"We will not agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of the sovereignty process," he said.
"Sovereignty is an important thing for Israel's security, but it is not worth risking even one centimeter of Israeli land by the establishment of a terrorist state in the heart of the country."
Dagan added that despite the warm relationship with the Americans, the decision to go ahead with annexation has nothing to do with Washington.
"David Friedman [the United States Ambassador to Israel] is a warm and loving Jew," Dagan said. "I know him, and I understand that he is doing everything possible to safeguard Israel's interests. But with all the appreciation I have for Friedman, no American ambassador should worry about us. We chose Netanyahu, not the Americans. "
Friedman said on Wednesday that the Israeli government's intention to extend its sovereignty to parts of the West Bank is in line with U.S. policy.
