Netanyahu wants annexation because he thinks it will keep him from being convicted on corruption charges. The effect on Palestinians — more loss of land with no real action by the international community — would be very dangerous indeed.

Naim Mousa writes, “[Inside Arab Music’s] greatest achievement is its ability to accurately reflect Arabic culture as a whole.”

Following a contentious third election, Gantz’s betrayal of his allies came as a surprise to many in Israel; but not to the Joint List and Palestinian citizens of Israel, who saw straight through his false image of change and reform. Now, with the complete collapse of Blue and White, and the Jewish centrist bloc, the Joint List stands as the sole voice of progress, equality, and change.

The 2020 elections pose a daunting question for Democrats – will they go with a progressive candidate or a moderate one?  In helping to decide which way to turn it could be helpful for the Democrats to consider the history of the Israeli Labor Party, which faced a similar crossroad and took a direction which led to its demise.

Today, the extreme right is a wholly acceptable idea in the Israeli mainstream. Supporting illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory has shifted to being a centrist policy.

The escalation of tensions between the US and Iran have provided Benjamin Netanyahu with the perfect opportunity to use a strategy which has kept in power all those years: the possibility of war.

Israel has vigorously escalated its aggression in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza in the past several week and the timing could not be better for Netanyahu and his allies. Netanyahu is employing a tactic he has used time after time, with near consistent results, to stay in power: start a war in Gaza.

Naim Mousa writes, “There are two candidates for prime minister, one incites violence against Arabs and constantly carries out racist policies, and the other does the exact same but is called Gantz.” Yet Palestinian voters have shown their growing power through the Joint List’s endorsement of Gantz to lead the government.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s main opposition in the the upcoming Israeli elections responded to his call to annex the West Bank by saying they had the idea first. Between the support of the Trump administration, and Israeli political consensus, and there is little standing in the way of annexation.