Reality: 'Annexation’ isn’t what will prevent peace - by James Sinkinson

The simple truth is that the Palestinians don’t have independence because for almost three generations they’ve rejected every single peace proposal of any kind, including the latest one.

James Sinkinson..
FLAME/JNS.org..
02 June '20..

You’ve no doubt seen the media reports of politicians and pundits “deeply concerned” about or outright condemning Israel’s intention to apply sovereignty to about 30 percent of Judea and Samaria (aka the West Bank).

In the wake of the Israeli government’s apparent intention to take this action around July 1, leftists in the United States and Europe have issued dire warnings that such “annexation” would:

• Nearly universally be viewed as a violation of international law.

• Render a two-state solution impossible.

• Choke off any hope of peace.

• Erode the strong support among the American people for Israel

As we’ll see, these predictions are either false, arguable or self-fulfilling. None is a sure thing.

Above all, these warnings ignore the chief enabler of Israel’s decision to apply its law to some half a million Jewish Israelis living in Judea and Samaria, the ancient Jewish heartland: Arab rejection of at least six generous offers to form a Palestinian state in this region over 72 long years.

First, the term “annexation” is a red herring. Annexation implies the seizure of land that belongs to another country, like Russia recently did in Crimea. But the land in question here was ceded to the Jewish nation in the San Remo Conference back in 1920, then ratified by the League of Nations and affirmed by the United Nations.

Since the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, no nation has held legal claim to the land of Judea and Samaria except Israel. Although Jordan illegally occupied this territory between 1948-1967, it was driven out by Israel during the Six-Day War.

Jordan formally ceded control of Judea and Samaria to Israel in the peace treaty of 1994—once more settling legal rights to this land.

As for Palestinian Arabs, feel what you may about whether this group “deserves” independence or is “morally entitled” to their own state, in point of fact, there is no nation of Palestine, and the Palestinians have never held sovereignty over any land anywhere. What’s more, the Palestinians have no claims to Judea and Samaria through legally binding actions of any world body.

(Continue to Full Column)

James Sinkinson is President of Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME), which publishes educational messages to correct lies and misperceptions about Israel and its relationship to the United States.