With Annexation On Hold, Israelis and Palestinians Wonder What Comes Next

Netanyahu tries to keep annexation scheme alive, but is it politically viable?

July 1 was supposed to be the start of Israel’s annexation of the West Bank, but it didin’t happen. With no more news on it by week’s end, many are wondering what is going to come next, and what it means for Israel and Palestine.

For months, everything has been effectively on hold waiting for what was going to happen here. Netanyahu continues to insist annexation is imminent, but it’s not clear that remains the case or indeed if annexation is even on the table anymore.

Politically, Netanyahu wouldn’t want to admit failure on annexation, but keeping his coalition together could be a challenge, with many partners fearing annexation is a step too far, and urging caution.

Palestinians may look to reserrt themselves after the annexation panic, though so long as Netanyahu can credibly claim annexation is coming, they will likely try to avoid doing anything too major. Netanyahu’s aversion to a Palestinian state is well known, but until annexation happens, they might still find an option to negotiate.

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.