Doubt hangs over implementation of Benjamin Netanyahu's annexation project

Will Benjamin Netanyahu be able to carry out his plan to annex part of the West Bank on Wednesday July 1? "Honestly, I don't think anyone knows what will happen on July 1 or the following days. Neither will Netanyahu," Elias Zananiri, vice-president of the Liberation Organization's interaction committee, told France 24. Palestine (PLO) with Israeli society. "But one thing is clear: the Palestinians will not accept any form of annexation whatsoever," he told France 24 on Sunday.  

>> Read: What does the Netanyahu-Gantz pact provide for on the annexation of the West Bank on July 1?

According to the agreement signed in May between Benjamin Netanyahu and his former electoral rival Benny Gantz, their unity government must decide from Wednesday on the implementation of the American plan for the Middle East, which notably provides for the annexation by Israel from settlements and the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank. Some observers believe that the government could procrastinate or start by annexing only certain colonies or blocks of colonies. 

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Monday that the project was not a priority, highlighting the coronavirus pandemic. After initially managing to contain the virus relatively well, Israel is currently recording an increase in the number of cases. In this context of health crisis, only 5% of Israelis consider that annexation should be the priority of the government, according to a recent survey.  

How to understand the announcements of Benjamin Netanyahu on a possible annexation of a part of the West Bank? Alain Dieckhoff and Stéphanie Latte-Abdallah, from @CERI_SciencesPo, were on @franceculture to talk about it 👇 https://t.co/Ps9m9DCJhX

A hastily annexation

But for Benjamin Netanyahu, time is running out. The mismanagement of the crisis in the United States and the bad polls of Donald Trump may suggest that the current US president will not necessarily be re-elected on November 3. Yet Benjamin Netanyahu needs the architect of this plan in power to implement it. However his opponent in the race for the White House, Joe Biden, strongly criticized him the project and already announced that he would not support it if he was elected.

Benjamin Netanyahu's legal troubles could also precipitate the implementation of the plan: annexing the Palestinian territories would be a way of diverting attention from the accusations of corruption, fraud and breach of trust. Indeed, since the start of his trial on May 24, Covid-19 and the imminent annexation of the West Bank have been making the headlines, overshadowing the hearings of his trial. 

Added to this is the will of the head of Likud, holder of the longevity record for the post of Prime Minister in all of Israel's history, to keep power. "He knows that annexation is important for the right, its electoral base. Strategically, if it does not annex, it will be problematic for its voters." 

The specter of an economic crisis

While waiting to make a decision, Benjamin Netanyahu must contend with the strong criticism that his project raises. It must be said that the unilateral annexation "raises fears of a new confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians," say analysts of the Adva Center, a progressive think tank based in Tel Aviv, in a publication released on June 17. "A new outbreak of violence will undoubtedly amplify the economic crisis linked to the coronavirus epidemic, just as the second intifada had exacerbated the crisis generated after the bursting of the speculative bubble on technologies in 2000. "

The economic recession that followed the second Intifada had been described by the central bank of Israel as the longest in the country's history. "During the second Intifada, the number of tourists entering Israel fell to less than a million," according to analysts at the Adva Center. 

A situation which resembles to be mistaken there with that which crosses the country today. In recent months, Israeli tourism - booming before the health crisis, with 4.6 million foreign visitors in 2019 - is once again at half mast. Unemployment also climbed to 18% from 3.4% before the pandemic. "To compensate for the losses caused by the epidemic, Israel must not only overcome Covid-19 but also stay away from conflicts," said the same analysts. 

UN Human Rights Chief @mbachelet urges #Israel not to proceed with its plans to illegally annex a swathe of occupied Palestinian territory, saying it would have a disastrous impact on #HumanRights of Palestinians and across the region.

Learn more: https://t.co/W8pcEY5FTk pic.twitter.com/HIZNoiOSjK

"Annexation is illegal. Full stop" 

Beyond the economic aspect, Benjamin Netanyahu considers the annexation of the Jordan Valley and the Jewish settlements in the West Bank as his historical heritage. And the previous annexations of East Jerusalem (1967) and the Golan Heights (1981) "were seen as historic measures by previous heads of government," wrote Israeli journalist Sever Plocker in a Ynet editorial. This latest annexation will, according to the Prime Minister, strengthen Israel's grip on certain parts of the biblical land and allow it to better defend its borders. "

"The international community must react quickly, warns Elias Zananiri." I believe it is its duty to intervene and, for once, to brandish the threat against Israel and to tell the outgoing government that it cannot continue to behave and act despite international law. " 

It's done. "Annexation is illegal. Full stop," said Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in a written statement Monday. "Any annexation. Whether 30% of the West Bank or 5%". And to conclude: "I urge Israel to listen to its own former high officials and generals, as well as the many voices in the world, warning it not to continue on this dangerous path."  

Adapted from English by Aude Mazoué

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