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One Fateful Week in February 2020: Netanyahu Pins His Hopes for Reelection on Killing the Two-State Solution
Alison Wakelin and Louise Strait
February 27, 2020
In the run up to Israel’s March 2 election, all subtlety appears to have been abandoned, and the Netanyahu/Trump axis of power has taken on a nakedly blatant bid for maintaining that power at any and all costs. During one week at the end of February, Netanyahu seized the media spotlight by announcing two initiatives to build thousands of units of settler housing in the illegally occupied West Bank in direct opposition to international law. Such brazen land grabs have been attempted before, but previously U.S. (and international) opposition was sufficient pushback to halt the plans in their tracks. Not so anymore, thanks to the Trump administration’s implicit support of Israel’s claim to the West Bank.
On February 20, Netanyahu announced his plan to build 3,000 settler housing units in Givat Hamatos, on Jerusalem’s southern border and beyond the Green Line. The second in the series of one-two punches followed quickly on February 25, when he promised 3,500 housing units for Jewish settlers in the E-1 area, between East Jerusalem and the huge Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim.
Such projects would be deep stab wounds leading to the death of any idea of a functional Palestinian state. Enlarging Givat Hamatos directly obstructs the connection between the Palestinian town of Beit Safafa and Bethlehem, its urban hub, as well as between Bethlehem and the southern portion of East Jerusalem. The proposed E-1 construction would not only hem in the eastern portions of East Jerusalem but would, more consequentially, sever the only land corridor between the northern and southern West Bank.
This does not even mention that on February 9 Israel’s Housing Ministry submitted a building plan for 9,000 setter housing units in the north, at the abandoned Atarot Airport. The egregiousness of this proposal goes beyond the fact that it would inhibit Palestinians’ access between the northern area of East Jerusalem and Ramallah; it eats up land that the Trump administration’s “Deal of the Century” earmarks for a Palestinian tourism center.
Taken together, these three plans are a trifecta, a north, east, and south encirclement of East Jerusalem, which has for years been hoped for as the capital of the eventual state of Palestine. What is particularly worrisome is that Bibi’s power base has simply gone along with and indeed encouraged measures that would almost certainly turn out to be counter to their own interests, personal and national.
Can a Jewish state survive if it is based on the maxim that Netanyahu must be prime minister and cannot be thwarted, as opposed to the deep traditions and laws that have defined the Jewish identity for literally thousands of years? A state may survive, but can it be called Jewish if it embraces a policy of discrimination towards Palestinians, thereby creating a system of apartheid? Such would not be in accordance with its own basic law, to “love the stranger within thy gates as thyself” (Leviticus 19:34). What does it mean to be Jewish? And who should decide, just Israeli Jews, or the world population of Jews?
No one blames Israel for turning to military strength in the face of organized efforts to destroy the young country, but taking land heretofore considered as part of an eventual Palestinian state goes beyond any security considerations. In fact, providing security in new areas of incursion places greater burden on the IDF, and its leaders, former and current, have said as much.
At this point, the actions of those who wish to maintain power have gone beyond any reason and are supported by the need to keep the Israeli population in a state of constant fear of the Palestinians within their gates. This has never been a tactic that leads to peace. It is almost guaranteed to result in increased resentment and pent-up anger instead, which sooner or later will be expressed one way or another.
What is wrong with the current generation of leaders determined to reinstate an authoritarian regime on citizens very ready to let go of such a model of government? Are they so emotionally disabled that they cannot see anything beyond themselves? We must stop putting so much power in the hands of would-be authoritarian leaders—so much power, in fact, that they have been able to bend the otherwise sane people around them to their point of view.
It is time to recognize the divinity and uniqueness of every human, and give everyone their God-given right to freedom, and equal access to the gifts of nature. Relationships built through kindness, not in political actions that only serve to remove trust, are required. Without this base of friendship, there will be trouble ahead. This year seems designed to offer us what may be our last opportunity to transform our politics without deep and possibly violent discontent. Surely Israelis will consider this as they go once more to the polls.
February 27, 2020
In the run up to Israel’s March 2 election, all subtlety appears to have been abandoned, and the Netanyahu/Trump axis of power has taken on a nakedly blatant bid for maintaining that power at any and all costs. During one week at the end of February, Netanyahu seized the media spotlight by announcing two initiatives to build thousands of units of settler housing in the illegally occupied West Bank in direct opposition to international law. Such brazen land grabs have been attempted before, but previously U.S. (and international) opposition was sufficient pushback to halt the plans in their tracks. Not so anymore, thanks to the Trump administration’s implicit support of Israel’s claim to the West Bank.
On February 20, Netanyahu announced his plan to build 3,000 settler housing units in Givat Hamatos, on Jerusalem’s southern border and beyond the Green Line. The second in the series of one-two punches followed quickly on February 25, when he promised 3,500 housing units for Jewish settlers in the E-1 area, between East Jerusalem and the huge Jewish settlement of Maale Adumim.
Such projects would be deep stab wounds leading to the death of any idea of a functional Palestinian state. Enlarging Givat Hamatos directly obstructs the connection between the Palestinian town of Beit Safafa and Bethlehem, its urban hub, as well as between Bethlehem and the southern portion of East Jerusalem. The proposed E-1 construction would not only hem in the eastern portions of East Jerusalem but would, more consequentially, sever the only land corridor between the northern and southern West Bank.
This does not even mention that on February 9 Israel’s Housing Ministry submitted a building plan for 9,000 setter housing units in the north, at the abandoned Atarot Airport. The egregiousness of this proposal goes beyond the fact that it would inhibit Palestinians’ access between the northern area of East Jerusalem and Ramallah; it eats up land that the Trump administration’s “Deal of the Century” earmarks for a Palestinian tourism center.
Taken together, these three plans are a trifecta, a north, east, and south encirclement of East Jerusalem, which has for years been hoped for as the capital of the eventual state of Palestine. What is particularly worrisome is that Bibi’s power base has simply gone along with and indeed encouraged measures that would almost certainly turn out to be counter to their own interests, personal and national.
Can a Jewish state survive if it is based on the maxim that Netanyahu must be prime minister and cannot be thwarted, as opposed to the deep traditions and laws that have defined the Jewish identity for literally thousands of years? A state may survive, but can it be called Jewish if it embraces a policy of discrimination towards Palestinians, thereby creating a system of apartheid? Such would not be in accordance with its own basic law, to “love the stranger within thy gates as thyself” (Leviticus 19:34). What does it mean to be Jewish? And who should decide, just Israeli Jews, or the world population of Jews?
No one blames Israel for turning to military strength in the face of organized efforts to destroy the young country, but taking land heretofore considered as part of an eventual Palestinian state goes beyond any security considerations. In fact, providing security in new areas of incursion places greater burden on the IDF, and its leaders, former and current, have said as much.
At this point, the actions of those who wish to maintain power have gone beyond any reason and are supported by the need to keep the Israeli population in a state of constant fear of the Palestinians within their gates. This has never been a tactic that leads to peace. It is almost guaranteed to result in increased resentment and pent-up anger instead, which sooner or later will be expressed one way or another.
What is wrong with the current generation of leaders determined to reinstate an authoritarian regime on citizens very ready to let go of such a model of government? Are they so emotionally disabled that they cannot see anything beyond themselves? We must stop putting so much power in the hands of would-be authoritarian leaders—so much power, in fact, that they have been able to bend the otherwise sane people around them to their point of view.
It is time to recognize the divinity and uniqueness of every human, and give everyone their God-given right to freedom, and equal access to the gifts of nature. Relationships built through kindness, not in political actions that only serve to remove trust, are required. Without this base of friendship, there will be trouble ahead. This year seems designed to offer us what may be our last opportunity to transform our politics without deep and possibly violent discontent. Surely Israelis will consider this as they go once more to the polls.