Palestinians Are at Trump’s Mercy

If the illegal annexation of 30% of the West Bank territory is carried out, the viability of a Palestinian state will be merely illusory.

The few days’ delay in Israel’s annexation of 30% of the West Bank territory pending approval from the United States is in line with the guidelines the White House has set in order to profit from the operation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rush to carry out the annexation clashes with the priorities of Benny Gantz, the partner in his government, who finds it more important to rescue Israel from the crisis triggered by the pandemic. Arab governments, Europe and the international community at large are also opposed to the annexation. Above all, it requires Donald Trump’s approval. The people surrounding the president have concluded that the “historic agreement,” which indeed it is, entails substantial risk and demands prudence so as not to set fire to the area and put allies – such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Arab Emirates – in a difficult situation.

As a matter of fact, since the 1993 Oslo Accords, there is more reason to agree with those who at the time believed that the Palestinian cause would be at the mercy of the Israeli strategy. Small concessions made by successive governments have not been an obstacle to the continuous spread of settlements to a total of 450,000 colonizers, a blatant violation of international law and specific United Nations Security Council resolutions compelling Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories. Not even the land-for-peace formula adopted in various declarations has been useful in avoiding the double outrage over the annexation of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.

Saying that the two-state idea is in its death throes and beyond repair would be in line with the reality on the ground. The foundation of a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank is clearly not viable as long as the entire process must submit to Israel’s plans. Moreover, ensuring the conditions of sovereignty is pie in the sky. Conversely, as long as Israel is able to operate with complete impunity and without cost, and the Palestinian Authority is left languishing, victim of its structural weakness, the shadow of apartheid tailored to the circumstances of the region will loom more and more over Palestinian society.