For left-wingers, Israel’s plan to absorb parts of the West Bank would harm Palestinian statehood. But even Israeli settlers in the territory seem unhappy with the plan, telling RT there was little to gain from the move.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to place around 30 percent of the West Bank under permanent Israeli control – but Israelis living in the area have said that the deal, which would grant Palestinians limited statehood if they meet certain conditions, is actually bad for the controversial settlements.
Settlers in Elon Moreh told RT that life would become “impossible” because their community would essentially become an enclave in the center of a Palestinian state.
“We won’t be able to leave without a military escort,” one Israeli woman noted. “There will be more bombs, more shootings… Palestinian police will not even take us into account.”
Israeli activist Boaz Haetzni urged US President Donald Trump to “reconsider” his so-called “deal of the century.” He said that sovereignty for West Bank settlements was the goal, but that Israel should not tolerate the remaining 70 percent of the land becoming Palestinian-ruled territory.
The sentiment was mirrored by Benny Katzovel, former head of the Samaria Regional Council, who told RT that Trump has shown more support for Israel than his European counterparts, but that he was “giving [Israelis] more danger than good things.”
With right-wing settlers opposing the move, it seems that Netanyahu now faces widespread resistance to his plans. On Saturday, thousands of left-wing demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv to decry the annexation. One of the protest’s organizers, Knesset member Nitzan Horowitz, said in an address to the crowd that seizing the territory would constitute a “war crime” that would lead to bloodshed.
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