Jerusalem – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday he hasbeen discussing legislation with the United States that would effectivelyannex settlements in the occupied West Bank, a spokesman said.
The move would severely damage remaining prospects for a two-state solutionto the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and draw international outrage.
“Regarding the issue of applying sovereignty, I can tell you that I havefor some time been speaking with the Americans about it,” Netanyahu toldlawmakers from his Likud party, according to comments relayed by aspokesman.
Netanyahu said he wanted to coordinate any such “historic” move with theUnited States because of the country’s strategic importance to Israel, hisspokesman said.
Some Israeli media interpreted the comments as the first time Netanyahuexpressed support for annexing the settlements.
Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation,condemned the remarks as amounting to “land theft” with US complicity.
The comments come with Netanyahu under pressure from right-wing politiciansto move ahead with legislation that would apply Israeli sovereignty tosettlements in the West Bank.
Two lawmakers, including one from Netanyahu’s party, have proposed suchlegislation.
Netanyahu blocked it from being advanced on Sunday, with officials citingthe need to focus on security issues following a confrontation that led toIsraeli air strikes in Syria at the weekend.
Unilateral annexation of settlements would be sure to draw internationaloutrage, though Netanyahu’s government has been bolstered by the unstintingsupport of US President Donald Trump.
Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December in a movepraised by Netanyahu as “historic” but denounced by the Palestinians andmost of the rest of the world.
But as Netanyahu’s comments made headlines on Monday and US officialsfailed to confirm the discussions he spoke of, an Israeli official issued aclarification.
Netanyahu “did not present the United States with specific annexationproposals, and in any case the United States did not give its consent tothe proposals”, the official said on condition of anonymity.
“Israel updated the United States on various proposals raised in the(parliament), and the United States expressed its clear position that itseeks to advance President Trump’s peace plan.”
The official added that Netanyahu’s position “is that if the Palestinianspersist in their refusal to negotiate peace, Israel will present its ownalternatives”.
– ‘Not necessarily sure’ –
While Israel would expect to retain certain settlements in any two-statepeace deal, longstanding international consensus has been that their statusmust be negotiated.
The same consensus has been in place for decades regarding the status ofJerusalem, with the Palestinians wanting the Israeli-annexed eastern sectorof the city as the capital of their future state.
Israeli settlements are located in what is known as Area C of the WestBank, which accounts for more than 60 percent of the Palestinian territory.
Annexing all settlements would leave little space for a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu heads what is seen as the most right-wing government in Israelihistory, and prominent ministers openly oppose a Palestinian state.
Those who oppose a Palestinian state advocate for Israel to annex most ofthe West Bank, citing Jews’ historical ties to the land from the biblicalera.
Netanyahu says he wants the Palestinians to govern themselves, but inrecent months has declined to specify whether that would mean anindependent Palestinian state or some lesser form of autonomy.
He has stressed recently that Israel must retain security control in thePalestinian territories under any peace arrangement.
While Trump has offered strong support of Israel, he said in an interviewpublished Sunday that he was “not necessarily sure” the country was seekingto reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
“Right now, I would say the Palestinians are not looking to make peace,”Trump said in the interview with right-wing Israeli paper Israel Hayom.
“And I am not necessarily sure that Israel is looking to make peace.”
In a rare rebuke, he also said Israeli settlement building “complicates”peace efforts.
APP/AFP