A week shy of the Israeli government’s earliest date to formalize its annexation of parts of the West Bank, United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has stated that the move is an “Israeli decision.”
Senior aides of US President Donald Trump’s administration met for the second day of talks on Tuesdays to discuss whether to extend a green light to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to unilaterally annex parts of the disputed West Bank territory and the Jordan Valley. Under Trump’s much-publicized Middle East Peace Plan, which was revealed in January and criticized by the international community, the US recognized the legitimacy of Jewish settlements built on traditionally Palestinian land as a part of Israel.
The proposal is aimed at eventually creating a Palestinian state, but under strict conditions. The Palestinian Authority has vehemently rejected this proposal, with support from several other countries that consider these settlements as illegal under international law. Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the Israeli government to abandon its plans for annexation, calling the move a serious violation of international law and warning that this threatened the prospect of peace with the Palestinian Authority.
Arab League Chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit also strongly rejected Netanyahu’s plans. “For three decades, real peace and the creation of an independent Palestinian state, remain elusive ... Despair is dominating the Palestinian mood and scene,” he said.
Urging Palestine to enter talks with Israel and the US, Pompeo said, “I regret only that the Palestinian Authority has refused to participate [...] they simply have rejected this out of hand. We simply ask that they come to the negotiating table based on what’s outlined in that vision for peace, and they have chosen not to.” He criticized Palestinian leaders’ decision to boycott talks as a rejection of Trump’s “vision for peace.”
At the same time, Pompeo did not divulge any details of where the US stands on the specifics of Netanyahu’s proposed plan. The US proposal includes a gradual process by which Israel would declare its sovereignty over settlements close to Jerusalem, rather than 30% of the West Bank territory that Netanyahu has envisaged.
See also: Israel’s Plans to Unilaterally Annex the West Bank Are a Major Threat to Regional Security
Pompeo’s remarks come against the backdrop of more than 1,000 European parliamentarians signing a letter rejecting Israel’s plans. The letter, which was also signed by 240 British legislators, was published on Wednesday and stated that the forceful and unilateral acquisition of any territory by force would have “commensurate consequences”. However, the letter fell short of openly calling for sanctions against Israel for its actions.
The Knesset aims to begin the legislative process on annexation on 1 July.
Image Source: Atlantic Council