Earlier this month US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Israel – their first visit from a foreign official since January. Israel has mandatory two-week quarantine for overseas arrivals, but for Pompeo they made an exception.
After three inconclusive Israeli elections within a year, caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and opposition leader Benny Gantz of the Blue and White faction have now formed an emergency government.
The emergency government will put the Israeli cabinet and Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, back in business after a year of political stalemate to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. According to Netanyahu and Gantz’s coalition agreement, for six months only legislation related to the battle against COVID-19 will be brought before the Knesset.
But as was the case with Pompeo, this agreement has one exception. The new government plans to advance legislation aimed at unilaterally annexing swaths of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank in line with the ‘peace’ plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump in January. The legislation could be put forward as early as July 1.
The United States has voiced support for the annexation plans, with Pompeo describing the process as ultimately an Israeli decision.