What You Should Know About Annexation of the West Bank

Though the news surrounding the events of COVID-19 has cast a significant shadow over most other pressing news stories, the global political landscape is as tumultuous as ever. In Israel, a whirlwind of elections, the publication of a Mideast peace plan from the White House, a visit from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and a series of other events have occurred over the past few months, creating a complex situation in Israeli politics.

Peace Plan & Annexation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared his intention to take steps to annex the West Bank (or Judea and Samaria in terms of the Hebrew Bible), an effort backed by a detailed peace plan published in January by the White House[1]. According to the Israel Policy Forum, “annexation refers to the formal integration of all or part of the West Bank into Israel”[2]. Though this integration was set to occur July 1, the deadline passed with no serious action taken, leaving officials and citizens alike questioning the status of annexation[3]. 

View from an Alfei Menashe lookout, near the West Bank | June 2017

Netanyahu’s desire to annex the West Bank is twofold. He recognizes the annexation as important for Israeli national security and acknowledges Israel’s historical claim to the biblical lands of Judea and Samaria, located in today’s West Bank[4][5]. The annexation plan includes a division of the West Bank between Israeli and Palestinian sovereignty, with Israel receiving 30 percent of the land (including over 130 existing Israeli settlements) and Palestinian leadership receiving the remaining 70 percent. This 70 percent would eventually comprise part of a future independent Palestinian state. The state would not be permitted to establish an airport nor an army, and its capital would not be located in Jerusalem[6].

President Trump’s peace plan provides four years for Palestinian leadership to work out negotiations towards independent statehood[7]. Should the Palestinian government follow through on various requirements set by President Trump’s peace plan, including the demilitarization of Hamas and official recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, the new state could receive a significant amount of economic aid[8][9].

Responses to the Question of Annexation

After the plan’s publication, President Trump sent Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas a letter detailing the newly-drafted plan for peace, which Abbas (and a host of other Arab leaders) initially rejected. Palestinian leadership did not participate in the drafting of this new peace plan, nor did a representative attend the plan’s preview at the White House[10].

Likewise, Jordanian King Abdullah II does not condone Trump and Netanyahu’s annexation efforts, claiming that annexation of the West Bank will cause significant problems in the Middle East. Due in part to Jordan’s large Palestinian population, the country favors the idea of a two-state solution over a possible Israeli annexation[11]. Recently, however, Abbas told President Vladimir Putin of Russia that he hopes to begin negotiating peace talks with the EU, UN, Russia and the United States. Abbas wants these negotiations to be an attempt towards “international legitimacy”[12].

France and seven other countries, including the UK, have warned against Netanyahu’s attempts at annexation[13]. European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell has recently spoken to the EU about applying sanctions to Israel if the country proceeds with the potential annexation. The EU sponsors Israeli research efforts and is the country’s largest partner in trade[14]. Some EU member countries have expressed concerns that Israel’s annexation of the West Bank would only hinder a legitimate peace process and cause more harm than good to peace efforts[15].

However, according to State Department Spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus, the United States will defend Israel’s motion to annex the West Bank even if the EU does not support their actions and issues sanctions on Israel. In his brief visit to Israel in May, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo restated his opinion that Israeli annexation ought to take place as part of a larger peace process and invite a Palestinian presence to the peace negotiations[16].

Opinions about the pending annexation are vast and varied. In the United States, the Democratic Majority for Israel fears the consequences of annexation.

“We cannot overstate the long-term damage such a move would have on the U.S. – Israel alliance,” the party claimed in a New York Times article. “The repercussions would be extremely serious and long-lasting.”[17]

Fears such as the dissolution of Israeli cooperation with various Sunni Arab states, alienation of Israeli leftist groups, and the potential to spark strong Palestinian uprisings add to some uncertainty regarding annexation[18].

Comparatively, some Israelis look forward to the prospect of annexation; particularly, many settlers have expressed excitement that their communities will come entirely under Israeli sovereignty. Validation from the United States government that Jewish Israeli settlers have a legitimate historic claim to land in the West Bank is, for some Israelis, thrilling[19].

There remains, however, a prevailing uncertainty—even fear—among some settlers about the possibility of an independent Palestinian state surrounding the state of Israel[20].

Is time of the essence?

Netanyahu has made it clear that he believes the annexation plan should be put in motion before November, when President Trump will be up for re-election. However, Israeli administration has made it clear that before moving forward with the plan, Netanyahu must receive approval from Benny Gantz, the current Israeli defense minister and alternate prime minister. Gantz, a centrist, opposes unilateral annexation and refuses to authorize the plan without receiving approval by King Abdullah of Jordan[21].

Similarly, officials in the White House do not agree about the best means of proceeding with annexation. Jared Kushner, President Trump’s senior advisor and the primary author of the existing Israeli peace plan, and David M. Friedman, the current U.S. ambassador to Israel, have conflicting opinions about the peace plan.

Kushner considers the plan he has authored to be a “viable way to resolve the long-running conflict and potentially reshape the Middle East,” while Ambassador Friedman is pushing more strongly for the annexation than another attempt at creating peace, believing attempts at peace to be futile[22].

In an interview, Ambassador Friedman made it clear that he thinks Israel must begin making the first steps towards annexation, such as creating more detailed mapping of annexed areas, pausing construction in Area C of the West Bank, and declaring Israeli sovereignty over the areas to be annexed. Currently, half of Area C is composed of Israeli settlements, and under the annexation plan, the remaining half of Area C would be reserved for a Palestinian state[23].

Passages participants learn about the complex geopolitical situation with Israel and the West Bank. | May 2019

For now, the momentum towards annexation has come to a standstill. With no established timeline for the annexation process, it is unclear what will happen regarding this situation in the coming months[24].

Much of the political focus remains battling the coronavirus[25]. Clearly, the political events of both the United States and the Middle East continue to develop day to day. As headlines change and reports regarding this complex situation are published, it is important to remember to stay informed, remain prayerful about the international leaders’ decision-making processes, and continue to pray for peace in the Middle East.

RESOURCES:

 

All opinions expressed are those of the writer.

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