Israeli PM says he will not miss 'historic' West Bank annexation opportunity

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on May 25 reportedly said that he will not miss a ‘historic opportunity’ to extend the country’s sovereignty to parts of the West Bank. While calling the move one of his government’s top tasks, Netanyahu is all set to put Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank under Israeli sovereignty. As per reports, the Israeli PM has set July 1 as a starting date for cabinet discussions on the issue. 

The Palestinians, on the other hand, consider such a step as ‘illegal annexation’ of occupied land they seek for a future state. According to an international media outlet, last week, they even declared an end to security cooperation with Israel and its ally, the United States, in protest at the territorial plan. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has also called the matter complex. He reportedly had said that the matter required coordination with Washington. 

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Netanyahu’s new political partner, Benny Gantz has also been equivocal about de facto annexation. Netanyahu, at a meeting of legislators of his ring-wing Likud party, reportedly set land moves in the West Bank as perhaps the ‘first in importance in may respects’ of the tasks to be undertaken by the government he and Gantz formed. While speaking to an international media outlet, Netanyahu said that it is a ‘big opportunity’ and the government will not let it pass by.

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Palestinians reject proposal 

Netanyahu has cited US President Donal Trump’s Middle-East Plan for Israel-Palestinian peace as underpinning de facto annexation. The Middle East plan would let Israel annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank and exert sovereignty all the way to Jordan. However, both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have rejected Trump's plan.

The Palestinians were offered limited self-rule in Gaza, parts of the West Bank, and some sparsely populated areas of Israel in return for meeting a long list of conditions. Hamas has vowed that ‘all options are open’ in its response to the proposal, but is not believed to be seeking war with Israel. Meanwhile, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced the Israeli-Palestinian peace truce in January and called it 'completely unacceptable'. 

(Image: AP)

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