Palestine Authority says it will declare state of Palestine if Israel goes ahead with annexation

(June 10) Palestinian Authority officials claim that Palestinians will declare the Israel-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip as an independent state if the Israeli's forge ahead with their planned annexation of the West Bank.

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Israeli government planned annexation supported by the US

The Netanyahu government intends to annex portions of the West Bank a move that is part of US President Trump's peace plan. Although the plan offered some minor concessions to the Palestinians to compensate for the annexation the entire plan was rejected by the Palestinians The plan was drafted under the stewardship of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Palestinian authorities were not involved in negotiations or even consulted. A BBC article reported: "Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Trump administration had simply "copied and pasted" the steps that Mr Netanyahu wanted to see implemented."It's about annexation, it's about apartheid," he said. "Moving to the de jure annexation of settlements is something that was given the green light yesterday.""

Despite the Palestinian rejection of the US peace plan, the US has encouraged Israel to go ahead with annexation with the Palestinians to receive nothing in return.

The Palestinian counter-proposal

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has been suggesting alternative plans that have been sent both to the US and the Mideast Quartet of the UK, EU, France, and the US.

The Palestinian plan would create a demilitarized by sovereign state as part of the agreement. There has been no reaction so far from Israel. Israel generally oppose Palestinian statehood and the US generally goes along with Israel's positions.

A demilitarized state adjacent to Israel is probably not best for any Palestinian state given the size of the Israeli military and its propensity to invade Palestinian areas. However, the Palestinians would be unlikely to have sufficient forces to defend their state against Israel in any event. It is no doubt seen as preferable to permanent annexation and perhaps as less threatening to the Israelis.

Statement of the Palestinian Prime Minister

Mohammad Shtayyeh the Palestinian Prime Minister said: “We’re waiting and pushing for Israel not to annex. If Israel is going to annex after July 1st, we are going to go from the interim period of the Palestinian Authority into the manifestation of a state on the ground. What does a manifestation of the state on the ground mean? It means that there will be a foundational council. There will be a constitutional declaration. And Palestine will be on the borders of [19]67, with Jerusalem as its capital. And we will call on the international community to recognise this land. That is where we are.” It seems unlikely that many countries will recognize the Palestinian state and certainly Israel will not. The declaration will be mostly symbolic.

Previously published in the Digital Journal