Israel to Start West Bank Annexations With Settler Blocs

First annexations expected in July

Israel’s plans to annex the Occupied West Bank will now begin in July, and officials say it will come in a series, starting with the biggest settlement blocs.

The intention is to take most of the land, without giving the Palestinians citizenship. The US urged Israel to slow the process, and the Palestinians are threatening to declare independence to retaliate.

Questions about the map have some Israeli officials predicting this will take months, which has many in the far right pushing for broader, less precise annexation to just take all the land more quickly, and without giving the Palestinians a chance to respond.

Slowing the process may allow Israel to sustain its ties with Jordan, since the annexation is meant to cover the entire Palestinian border with Jordan, and Jordan isn’t happy with that.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.