US envoy says Israel has 'right' to annex some West Bank land: NYT interview

Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now says Trump should remove Ambassador David Friedman from his post

US ambassador to Israel David Friedman says 'Israel has the right to retain some, but unlikely all, of the West Bank' (AFP/file photo)

By MEE and agencies-8 June 2019

The US ambassador told the New York Times that Israel has the right to annex at least "some" of the occupied West Bank, in comments likely to increase Palestinian opposition to a long-awaited US peace plan.

The Palestinians have rejected the plan before it has even been unveiled, citing a string of moves by US President Donald Trump that they say show his administration is irredeemably biased, AFP said.

They are likely to see the latest comments by US ambassador to Israel David Friedman as another nail in the coffin of a peace process that is already on life support.

In the interview published by the New York Times on Saturday, Friedman said that some degree of annexation of the West Bank would be legitimate.

James J. Zogby

✔@jjz1600

US Amb “Israel Has Right to Annex”. This is what happens when “our” Ambassador is a guy who funded an Israeli settlement & owned an apartment in Jerusalem before he got the job. Not accusing him of dual-loyalty. Just pointing out a reality. It’s a disgrace https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/08/world/middleeast/israel-west-bank-david-friedman.html …

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11:23 AM - Jun 8, 2019

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U.S. Ambassador Says Israel Has Right to Annex Parts of West Bank

Ambassador David M. Friedman opened the door to American acceptance of Israel’s annexation of parts of the West Bank, a move that would violate international law.

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"Under certain circumstances, I think Israel has the right to retain some, but unlikely all, of the West Bank," he said.

It was unclear which West Bank territories Friedman meant and whether Israel's retention would be part of a peace accord that includes land swaps - an idea floated in past negotiations - rather than a unilateral move such as annexation, Reuters said.

PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat tweeted that Friedman's comments make it clear the vision he shares with Trump is "annexation of occupied territory, which is a war crime according to international law," Haaretz reported.

Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now said in a statement on Saturday that Trump should remove Friedman from his post if he wanted to retain any credibility for his peace efforts

"Ambassador Friedman is a Trojan horse sent by the settler right, which sabotages Israel's interests and the chance for peace. The price will be paid by the residents of the area, not by Friedman or Trump. The U.S. president, if he means to serve as a fair mediator, ought to send Friedman packing this evening," Haaretz quoted Peace Now as saying.

Israel must keep 'security control' over occupied West Bank, US envoy says

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The establishment of a Palestinian state in territories, including the West Bank, that Israel occupied in the Six-Day War of 1967 has been the focus of all past Middle East peace plans.

No firm date has been set for the unveiling of the Trump administration's plan, although a conference is to be held in Bahrain later this month on its economic aspects.

The public comments made by administration officials so far suggest the plan will lean heavily on substantial financial support for the Palestinian economy, much of it funded by the Gulf Arab states, in return for concessions on territory and statehood.

"The absolute last thing the world needs is a failed Palestinian state between Israel and Jordan," Friedman said in the Times interview.

"Maybe they won't take it, maybe it doesn't meet their minimums.

"We're relying upon the fact that the right plan, for the right time, will get the right reaction over time."

Friedman, a staunch supporter of the Israeli settlements, told the Times that the Trump plan was aimed at improving the quality of life for Palestinians but would fall well short of a "permanent resolution to the conflict".

Still, he said the United States would coordinate closely with Arab ally Jordan, which could face unrest among its large Palestinian population over a plan perceived as overly favourable to Israel.

Israeli premier Netanyahu vows to annex West Bank settlements if re-elected

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Publication of the plan looks set to be further delayed after the Israeli parliament called a snap general election for September, the second this year.

The plan may be regarded as too sensitive to release during the campaign.

During campaigning for the first general election in April, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to annex West Bank Jewish settlements, a move long supported by most lawmakers in his alliance of right-wing and religious parties.

Following persistent expansion of the settlements by successive Netanyahu governments, more than 600,000 Jewish settlers now live in the West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem, among three million Palestinians.

The New York Times noted that much of the world considers Israeli settlements there illegal and would view annexation as compounding the crime.

Israeli critics, the Times said, including a group of respected former military and national-security officials, warn that annexation could lead to violence and require the military to occupy Palestinian urban areas for the first time in decades.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters: "No plan for unilateral annexation by Israel of any portion of the West Bank has been presented by Israel to the US, nor is it under discussion."