French President Macron urges Netanyahu not to proceed with annexation
Macron warned that it would violate international law and threaten-long term peace efforts.
By TOVAH LAZAROFF, CELIA JEANFrench President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Elysee Palace as part of the commemoration ceremony for Armistice Day, 100 years after the end of the First World War, in Paris, France, November 11, 2018.(photo credit: PHILIPPE WOJAZER/REUTERS)
Annexation of portions of the West Bank would “contravene international law,” French President Emmanuel Macron warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.It would also “jeopardize the possibility of a two-state solution” and a “fair and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” he said.The two men spoke on Thursday, but a summary of their comments was released only on Friday by the offices of both leaders.Netanyahu pushed back at Macron’s contentions that annexation was illegal under international law and assured him that “Israel operates according to international law.”Netanyahu further told Macron that he was committed to US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. That plan allows Israel to annex up to 30% of the West Bank in the initial stages of a four-year process toward the creation of a Palestinian state.France is one of seven European countries that have already warned Israel that any annexation moves would harm their ties with the Jewish state.This also includes the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Ireland and Norway.European Union Minister for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell has also clarified that it would damage future EU-Israel cooperation.The EU and France hold that Israel must solely engage in a peace process toward a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 lines. It’s a paradigm that Israel has persistently rejected.The Trump plan ignores the pre-1967 lines and calls for a Palestinian state on 70% of the West Bank. During the Obama administration, the Palestinian Authority refused to engage in serious negotiations with Israel until it agreed to a full settlement freeze and to talks based on the pre-1967 lines.The last such talks were held in 2014. The Palestinians have rejected the Trump plan and have only now agreed to waive any pre-conditions with regard to serious talks.Netanyahu referenced that history in his conversation with Macron, noting that past formulas led to failure for over the last 53 years and repeating them “would lead to further failure.” “President Trump’s plan has new ideas that allow real progress, and Israel is ready to negotiate peace on its basis,” he continued. “The Palestinian refusal to negotiate this peace plan and the past plans is the one that prevents progress.”According to the Prime Minister’s Office, “the two also discussed ways to deal with the coronavirus and agreed to hold a joint working group on the issue.”Earlier this week, Netanyahu issued similar statements to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.Yesh Atid Party head MK Yair Lapid tweeted on Friday about his conversation with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, in which both men agreed that Israel should not apply sovereignty to portions of the West Bank.“I expressed to the foreign minister my opposition to both unilateral annexation and to the threat of sanctions against Israel,” Lapid said.Foreign ministries from Egypt, Jordan, France and Germany warned Israel last week against annexation.According to the coalition agreement between the Likud and Blue and White parties, Israel had the ability to annex all the West Bank settlements already on July 1. Israel is waiting for a green light from Washington to move forward on annexation.
