Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US ambassador David Friedman announced amendments to US accords, sought by Trump’s biggest backer, Sheldon Adelson, that will allow US taxpayer money to be spent in Israeli settlements. Adelson seems to want to get as much out of Trump in what time remains.
Beinart’s declaration of support for one democratic state has exposed intolerant attitudes among liberal Zionists. For instance, Palestinian leader Ayman Odeh says he wants to represent all Israelis and be like MLK, but Michael Koplow of IPF says he can’t represent Israeli Jews. Really? Why not? And why should an American be indulging such racism?
Netanyahu will go forward with annexation once he sorts out the battle over its dimensions within the rightwing Israeli camp. Then he will unleash Sheldon Adelson to bring it to the White House and any thought Jared Kushner will stop it — do you believe Alice in Wonderland? The insights of Daniel Levy of the Middle East Project.
The New York Times covers annexation as if it chiefly affects Israeli Jews. “The fear most unnerving Israelis is that their sons and daughters could be sent into combat,” it reports but all but ignores Palestinian concerns about the illegal move Israel is contemplating.
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.
Robert Cohen writes, “Looking the other way when a crime is committed is not a Jewish value I remember being taught in my Hebrew classes. The British Board of Deputies’ effort to build non-existent Jewish unity over Israel turns out to be little more than political expediency in Israel’s favour.”
Pompeo’s lightning visit to Israel shows that Republicans have a lot to gain by making Israel a political football, possibly gaining Jewish votes in Florida.
Palestinian lawmakers decry the political deal in Israel. Aida Touma-Sliman calls new Netanyahu-Gantz government “dangerous” and vows to fight its plan too annex portions of the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli Jewish right wants to keep 620,000 settlers in West Bank– and the left wants to keep 585,000 there, says legislator Yair Golan. So there is no real opposition to the settlement project, or the one-state reality, even though it threatens “the Zionist dream.”
On April 8, eleven members of congress released a statement opposing the Israeli government’s potential annexation of the West Bank. The action comes amid reports that the country’s new coalition government will move forward with a unilateral annexation plan.