Israel delays annexation

The question of annexation of some Palestinian territories enters a very delicate phase and risks becoming a trap for its main supporter, the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. The implications are, of course, of an internal nature, but the already very important international relevance is destined to grow, while there are also possible social repercussions on the Palestinian inhabitants of the annexed areas. Internationally, the greatest risk is that relations, albeit unofficial, laboriously built with Sunni countries, will undergo a negative turn, a development that is highly dangerous for the maintenance of the unofficial alliance built against Iran. Tehran remains the main danger for Israel and the support of the Gulf monarchies is necessary not only from a political point of view but also from a military one. However, international opposition is not limited to Sunni countries, even the ambassadors to the United Nations of China and Russia have expressed their opposition to the possible annexation, thus reaffirming their closeness to the Palestinians. Of course, it is also a political calculation that includes aversion to the United States, but not only. For Moscow, close to Syria and therefore Iran, it is a question of making the international scene complicated for Tel Aviv. The position of the European Union, with some exceptions, is then well known and for Israel the policy of annexation could only mean political censorship and trade sanctions. On the other hand, the Israeli country does not appear compact at this appointment: if the right-wing parties and the movements close to the settlers support the Netanyahu plan, there is a vast front of opposites present in the civil society of Israel due to the evaluation of the reasons of opportunity and convenience, which of declared political opposition. A need to hurry the annexations would also be dictated by Trump’s uncertain stay in the White House, in fact in case of defeat of the outgoing president, a totally opposite consideration of the problem by the Democrats is considered highly probable. On the Palestinian side, apart from the obvious threats from Gaza, which would see a greater commitment of the army in the repression, with a further negative impact on the image of the country, the real risk is the implosion of the Palestinian Authority, caused by the inability to defend territories from annexation; a loss of authority, which can also result in the loss of an interlocutor, who despite the distance, can still guarantee a work of fundamental mediation at a time when there is strong resentment from a large part of Palestinian society, but also where it is registered the possible liking of the Palestinians residing in the annexed colonies to take on Israeli citizenship. In reality, this possibility is not at all guaranteed, especially if the line of creating a country strongly identified with Jewish values ​​should prevail. For all these reasons, respecting the set date has become difficult, even if solutions with less impact have been thought of, such as a symbolic annexation capable of reaffirming sovereignty, already effectively guaranteed by the presence of the army, on the colonized territories. In agreement with the United States, Netanyahu has decided to suspend the annexation of the colonies to have a more favorable moment. The slowdown of the issue seems to be shared also by the American ambassador and therefore by the Trump administration, which has promoted a rapprochement between the Israeli premier and the defense minister, the leader of the white blue party, who in two years will take the place of the head of the government. The recent statements by the head of the ministry of defense have expressed their willingness to postpone the date of annexation on the grounds of the pandemic state that is passing through the Israeli country; these claims irritated Netanyahu who had called the defense minister with no say in the matter. It is understandable how the Israeli leader wants to make the annexation, also as a reason for distraction from his judicial misadventures, however the danger of a new political instability has alerted the USA, which has favored the extension of the deadline and a meeting between the two leaders of the government parties. At the moment it seems that the worst enemies of the annexation are not the Palestinians but the Israelis themselves.