The new Israeli government towards the annexation of the settlements

The recurrence of Israel’s seventy-two years is imminent, while next month will be the fifty-third anniversary of the Israeli army’s occupation of the Palestinian territories after the six-day war. Political life in Tel Aviv is currently experiencing a difficult time, which follows the repetition of the elections due to the repeated results that have not allowed the formation of a majority government. The national emergency agreement between the conservatives and the center party has produced an alternation of government that suggests uncertain outcomes, a feeling aggravated by the economic and health crisis, also caused by the pandemic, which is passing through the country. In terms of internal politics, but which also coincides with the international one, the parties in charge of the executive have signed a pact containing the commitment to promote the annexation of part of the West Bank from next July 1st. The actual program foresees the annexation of as much territory as possible, with the least number of Arab residents. This is a real violation of interaction law already in origin, but which would worsen with the likely establishment of an apartheid regime against Palestinian citizens present in the annexed territories. If the de facto annexation, as it currently is, is transformed into an annexation by law, the legal meaning is to validate a retroactive rule that establishes the legitimacy of the settlements of Israeli settlers built on territories not belonging to the state of Israel. From a quantitative point of view, the portion of territory removed from the West Bank with this annexation policy is equal to about a third of the Palestinian territories. The possibility of creating a Palestinian state in the remaining territories of the West Bank was offered, but this possibility was rejected by Palestinian officials. If the United States has long declared itself ready to support the annexation, in the international community most of the countries are against this option considering the Israeli will illegitimate. In addition to the countries of the Arab League and the United Nations themselves, the European Union, which reaffirms its position in stark contrast to the USA, is a reason for further distance from the Trump administration. Brussels’ position towards annexation, not only the Israeli one, but any kind of annexation, is to consider it a serious violation of international law; according to some analysts this could provoke a worsening of bilateral relations, also due to the European intentions to implement new sanctions against Tel Aviv. The adoption of new sanctions, although probable, is not obvious for the opposition of European states traditionally allies of Israel such as Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic, however the political weight of states such as France, Belgium, Sweden or Ireland, which are firmly against annexation could lead to the suspension of the strategic association agreement with the EU of the Israeli state, which regulates the economic and commercial relations between the two sides: a big problem for Tel Aviv, because the The European Union is its main trading partner. Within the political case of the annexation, therefore, particular cases deriving from different visions are likely to sharpen or arise, which can alter the international balance. If the contrast between Europe and the US, already mentioned, is well known, the diatribe within the Union is likely to represent a further reason for confrontation between the members of Brussels, in a very particular period, which requires the highest degree of concord possible. The Palestinian position remains, which judges the question of annexation as obvious, illegitimate and inadmissible, threatening, if implemented, to consider invalid all agreements signed with Israel and the United States. “Palestinian leaders also threaten to incorporate and to integrate the question of annexation into the accusations of the investigation by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Despite the tragedy of the pandemic, which occupies the international scene, Israel is once again able to emerge and stand out, thanks to the danger of the management of the territories by an unsuitable executive and not up to a more forward-looking vision with long-term objectives, which do not only concern internal issues, but of a broader scope, that is, of international relevance because in able to produce dangerous repercussions on international balances.