Annexation Quickly Shows It’s a Regional, International Issue

When Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced he would be annexing much of the territories conquered in the 1967 war – the “West Bank” to most of the international community, “Judea and Samaria” to many Jews and Christians – the assertion was a political boost to the PM’s right-wing constituency. Nevertheless, some of his traditional base demurred out of concern that the move would be too provocative to the point of inciting even greater tensions with the Palestinians, the Arab world – where recent signs of thawing relations are seen as positive achievements not to be squandered – and, indeed, a number of allies of varying intensity, such as the United States and European Union. Despite the dramatic rapprochement between Netanyahu and political challenger Benny Gantz, and the latter’s thin caveats relating to his embrace of the promise to annex, the new government is clearly Netanyahu No. 5, and the issue of annexation is political hot potato No. 1. In Washington, ostensible “friends of Israel” sitting in both houses of Congress are counseling the Jewish state to stand down on the matter despite the Trump Administration’s green light. (Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it would be up to Israel’s new government.) France’s Emmanuel Macron, who apparently sees the Middle East as a stepping stone to international leadership credentials, has gone as far as hinting at a break in diplomatic relations if the annexation takes place. Despite the global blowback, Netanyahu reiterated on Sunday that it would be only “a few months” until the annexation took place. The Arab League is meeting in emergency session to take up the issue before the end of the month.