This archive report was first published on 19 November 2019.
On November 18, 2019, the US administration made a significant policy shift, stating that Israeli settlements in the West Bank do not violate international law. This move has been met with widespread criticism and concern, particularly from opponents of annexation.
According to critics, the policy shift serves as a clear indication to the Palestinians that the US is no longer willing to engage in negotiations. As one critic noted, “You’re not willing to hear a compromise; the train has left and you’ll be left with nothing at the end of the day.”
Opponents of annexation warn that it puts Israel’s status as a Jewish democracy at risk in two ways: If the West Bank’s Palestinians are made Israeli citizens, the country’s Arabs could quickly outnumber its Jews. If they are not given full citizenship rights, Israel would become an apartheid state.
Nimrod Novik, a former aide to Shimon Peres and longtime supporter of a two-state solution, expressed his concerns, saying, “We are strong enough to deter and defeat our enemies. What we don’t have is an Iron Dome system to defend us from friends who threaten to end the Zionist vision.”
The US administration’s peace effort, led by Jared Kushner, has been delayed repeatedly, and it is widely believed to bolster Mr. Netanyahu and fail to break a stalemate between Israel and the Palestinians. The plan, which has been shrouded in secrecy, includes a call for major new economic development in Palestinian areas.
Experts have criticized the US administration’s decision, with Ilan Goldenberg, a former State Department official, stating, “The notion this somehow advances peace as Secretary Pompeo’s claims is laughable.”
