Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday revealed that the United States prevented him from carrying out his plan to annex large swathes of the occupied West Bank, Israeli media reported.
Speaking to Israeli TV Channel 20, Netanyahu said: “It was clear from the start that the application of sovereignty would be done only with agreement from the United States. Otherwise, I would have already done it a while ago.”
According to Jerusalem Post, Netanyahu added: “Trump is now busy with other things, and this [annexation] is not on the top of his mind.”
Palestine Chronicle Explains: What You Need to Know about Israel’s Annexation Plan https://t.co/wg2IDUcCNS via @PalestineChron
— Hafed Al Ghwell – حافظ الغويل (@HafedAlGhwell) June 29, 2020
He continued:
“I hope that in the near future we will be able to advance recognition of the application of sovereignty as well as other diplomatic issues of importance to Israel.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had pledged to annex nearly 30 percent of the total size of the occupied Palestinian West Bank and Jordan Valley, an act deemed a stark violation of international law.
Benjamin Netanyahu said US President Donald Trump is 'busy with other things' https://t.co/AogD8nBsce
— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) August 11, 2020
Although annexation didn’t actualize on July 1, a self-imposed deadline by Netanyahu himself, Israel remains adamant in its intentions to formalize the annexation of large swathes of Palestinian land.
Washington is supportive of the Israeli move, although media reports spoke of the possibility that Trump’s Administration may have requested that Tel Aviv delay its plans for an unspecified period of time.
(Palestine Chronicle, MEMO, Social Media)
