Grandstand. After sixteen months of political deadlock in Israel, marked by the holding of three extremely close elections in less than a year, the crisis in which the Hebrew State had become entangled therefore ended in the formation of a government. of national union between two men.
One, Benny Gantz, is a former IDF chief of staff and appears in a position of strength, while the other, Benjamin Netanyahu, for more than a year weakened by prosecutions for corruption, fraud and abuse of confidence, therefore succeeds in remaining in power only by the grace of this alliance which has been long overdue.
The roadmap of the two former rivals from the hard right of Likud and the center of the Bleu-Blanc party contains a disturbing project: the annexation, as quickly as possible, of 30% of the West Bank occupied since 1967 – more precisely the Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley.
The deal, just sealed on Monday April 20, is on the agenda for a vote in cabinet or the Knesset on July 1. This project is in line with the said "Peace plan" for the region, presented by Donald Trump on January 28, which Mr. Netanyahu dared to qualify "Exercise of sovereignty" and of "Historic moment in the history of Zionism".
“Irreparable” damage
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh reacted strongly to the annexation schedule when it was announced. Abbas has considered suspending the Oslo security and economic deals, which would obviously have very serious consequences for the two-state solution, as well as the rights of the Palestinian people.
Even within Israeli society, this project is far from unanimous. On Saturday, April 25, two thousand people, respecting safe distances in the midst of a pandemic, demonstrated in Tel Aviv their opposition to this annexation as well as to the newly formed union government, accused of encouraging corruption and eroding the democracy. Even Yair Lapid, former minister of Mr. Netanyahu, leader of a centrist party and former ally of Benny Gantz, strongly opposed the plan, warning that the damage caused would be " irreparable ".
The Israeli NGO B'Tselem, which fights for the defense of human rights in the occupied territories and which campaigns against the occupation, recalled, by its spokesman Amit Gilutz, that this annexation already existed de facto and that it was only a desire to legitimize an already existing and dramatic situation for the Palestinian populations.
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