Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on April 20, 2020

There is big news from Israel today. Benny Gantz, the man who for three elections tried to retire Netanyahu, has surrendered. Benjamin Netanyahu will be prime minister for the next 18 months, which will include a corruption trial; Gantz will then become prime minister, and the power-sharing deal is said to OK annexation of large portions of the occupied West Bank beginning in July.

Jerusalem Post:

US President Donald Trumps peace plan, including its clauses enabling Israel to apply sovereignty in Judea and Samaria [occupied West Bank], will be able to be implemented in July, when maps are set to be finalized.

Michael Koplow of Israel Policy Forum:

Gantz becomes defense minister and later PM; BW [Gantzs party Blue White] gets 16 ministers but Likud wins on every policy disagreement, from starting annexation on July 1 to effectively controlling the judicial appointments committee

The deal has prompted agonized cries from liberal Zionists but promises to resist from leading Palestinian politicians of Israels Joint List. Aida Touma-Sliman writes:

The next Israeli gov will be a dangerous right wing one. Gantz entered the field hoping to replace Netanyahu and ended up strengthening the latters racist and anti-democratic politics. We will lead the opposition to this annexation gov during the Covid crisis and after it.

Palestinian politicians were the big winners of the last election; and are empowered by the news. Joint List head Ayman Odeh writes on twitter [Hebrew, automated translation]:

Gantzs surrender is a slap in the face to the civilian who repeatedly goes to the ballot box to oust Netanyahu. Gantz was not brave enough to win and chose to legalize annexation, racism and corruption.

Joint List lawmaker, and doctor, Ahmad Tibi:

Blue and White [Gantzs party] waved a white flag. It surrendered to all political dictates (annexation in July), and in the civil sphere it surrendered to the National Law, the Kaminitz Law [limiting Palestinian building permits] We will see in the fight against the government of 52 ministers and deputy ministers a challenge and mission. I feel the loss of millions of citizens who want change.

Annexation is understood to mean about 30 percent of the West Bank, including the Jordan Valley and Jewish settlements that include more than 620,000 colonists.

Israel lobbyist Martin Indyk says Trump will lie down for annexation to satisfy the American Christian right:

Coronavirus or not this much is clear: Trump will greenlight the annexation to secure his Evangelical base going into the election.

Indyk leaves out Trumps Florida game: the Jewish voters who can be crucial in that swing state.

The conventional wisdom is that this deal will be a test for liberal Zionist organizations in the U.S. to oppose annexation now, and recruit Democratic politicians here against it. Note that last week such an initiative resulted in 11 congresspeople writing a letter opposing annexation. Not exactly a groundswell. But J Street lately endorsed Joe Biden and he welcomed the endorsement; he is sure to take a stance against annexation.

The liberal Zionist orgs will have to work with Palestinians politicians if they aim to block annexation.

Israel supporter Tamara Cofman Wittes says hopefully that facts on the ground wont mean a thing to a Biden administration

Trumps green light does not end the issue. Presidential recognition of territorial claims are a matter of executive discretion that can be immediately reversed by a new administration.

h/t Yossi Gurvitz

Read more:
Israel's new government is all set for July annexation and Palestinian leaders vow to oppose it - Mondoweiss

Category: Zionism
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