Settlers target Likud in new campaign to force West Bank annexation vote

The Yesha Council has targeted the Likud Party as it opened a new campaign to force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to immediately apply sovereignty to the West Bank settlements. It sent a text message to 130,000 Likud members including Knesset members and ministers with a quote from Netanyahu from September, 2019, in which he stated, “We will apply sovereignty to all communities in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.” It also attached a link to a new website it created with a clock that counts down the days, minutes and seconds from July 1. This is the first date by which, according to the coalition agreement between the Likud and Blue and White parties, Netanyahu can annex the settlements. The site also features a recording of Netanyahu making the September pledge. Yesha Council head and Jordan Valley Regional Council head David Elhayani said of Netanyahu, “You have made this promise many times, this is the moment to keep your word. Do not be afraid and do not let others make this decision for us.” While July 1 was simply an early target date and was not necessarily meant to be the actual date for annexation, settlers and pro-sovereignty supporters believe that July is the last month by which such an event could happen. They fear that the gathering international forces against sovereignty will gain steam, if Netanyahu allows to much time to go by without action. Netanyahu is waiting for US approval. US President Donald Trump is expected to make an announcement on the matter next week. Earlier in the day Minister-without-a-Portfolio Tzachi Hanegbi visited Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan to show his support for the pro-sovereignty drive. HaNegbi said he was certain that Netanyahu was working to secure US support, but said that it is important that any sovereignty application did not go hand-in-hand with the legitimization of Palestinian statehood. On Wednesday, Dagan held a cornerstone laying ceremony in the Har Baracha settlement, which is slated to be an enclave settlement under the Trump plan, due to its location near the Palestinian city of Nablus, otherwise known as the biblical city of Shechem. Dagan dreams of the day when the settlement of some 2,700 will be transformed into a city of 26,000 people. He was joined by MK Haim Katz [Likud] and MK Ayelet Shaked. Separately on Wednesday the German parliament passed a non-binding motion against annexation and in favor of a two-state resolution to the conflict. Germany is one of seven European countries which has warned Israel that the application of sovereignty will harm its ties with the Jewish state.

Settlers target Likud in new campaign to force West Bank annexation vote

While July 1 was not necessarily meant to be the actual date for annexation, settlers and pro-sovereignty supporters believe that July is the last month by which such an event could happen.

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