July 1 is the date. From then, according to the coalition agreement that established the current Israeli government on March 17, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may hold a vote in cabinet or parliament to advance plans for the annexation of 30 per cent of the disputed West Bank.
The prospect of serious unrest following the start of this process is real. Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas has already announced the cessation of security co-operation between his 30,000-strong security forces and those of Israel (in practice, limited co-ordination appears to be continuing).
European leaders are worried. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is set to visit Israel this week. The unstated purpose of the visit is likely to be to warn Israel against any moves towards unilateral annexation. Tel Aviv witnessed a stormy demonstration against the prospect last weekend.
It is distinctly possible, however, that there is rather less here than meets the eye. Bold strategic gambits do not usually feature highly in Netanyahu’s playbook. There is reason to suspect that in this case, too, caution will prevail.
The prospect of a unilateral Israeli annexation of the major settlement blocs and the Jordan Valley emerged following the unveiling of the Trump plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The US President announced the plan on January 28 at the White House.
The Trump plan envisages the eventual emergence of a demilitarised Palestinian state on roughly 70 per cent of the West Bank. In its general contours, it resembles historic Israeli proposals for the solution of the conflict, including the Allon Plan — once the official program of the now near-defunct Labour Party.
Read the article by Jonathan Spyer in The Australian.