There’s still time to fix the maps

It’s no surprise tempers are running short, but we can save this historic opportunity without making major changes to what the Trump administration has proposed.

By Moshe Koppel, ISRAEL HAYOM

Israel now has a historic opportunity to apply Israeli law to the Jordan Valley and settlements in Judea and Samaria. There are two purposes in applying Israeli law there: 1) to regulate and normalize life through unified, modern laws and to allow for long-term planning and 2) to make it clear that Israel is here for eternity.

According to the Trump plan, the application of Israeli law to some of the territory entails a construction freeze and the start of a process that could theoretically end with a Palestinian state. The plan is very good for Israel, but two steps must be taken to ensure that the blessing doesn’t turn into a curse.

The first step is for Israel and the US to sign a memorandum of understanding in which the US will promise to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state until the Palestinians fulfill all eight of the conditions of the Trump plan, which they will most likely never do. It is important to remember that Trump won’t always be president. Agreement on a map brings us closer to a Palestinian state without the conditions being fulfilled if a less friendly president moves into the White House. A signed memorandum might not bind the hands of another president, but American tradition would make it very hard for that president to ignore it. The memorandum must also include a US commitment to respond appropriately in the case of irreversible Palestinian violations of the plan, either on the ground or in the International Criminal Court.

The second step is to improve the maps attached to the Trump plan. Let’s tell the truth: these maps were drawn up in an almost criminally amateur manner. The current maps annex nearly 100,000 Arabs in the area of Biddu and Beit Lakiya to Israel and cut off entire cities from adjacent roads, as well as other elementary mistakes. To make the maps viable, there is no need to institute major changes. The conceptual map gives Israel 32.4% of Judea and Samaria. Maintaining that same percentage, we could apply Israeli law to all settlements and the Jordan Valley, including the allocation of land for settlements; corridors to connect communities, and major transportation arteries (especially Highway 60, including the Hawara and Al-Arus bypasses). None of this would require bringing any Arab village inside the new lines.

Officials on the Right warn that a less-than-optimal map could lead to disaster. But these warnings are unrealistic. Every road we currently use and control would be the same under Israeli law. No road will become the target of snipers and no community will be “choked off by masses of Arabs.” Nevertheless, it is very important to insist on details when the maps are being charted. To make it clear that Israel will always remain here, we need to start the process with continuity and sustainability. A map that isn’t contiguous or sustainable projects impermanence, thereby undermining the purpose of sovereignty.

There are reports that some representatives of Israel and the US are losing patience, and that the lack of agreement over isolated sections of the map has caused an impasse. We can hope that the obstacle will turn out to be temporary. Both sides want to agree on the maps and the way ahead – only the finalization will require bold negotiations.

It’s no surprise that people are losing their patience. Israel is disappointed that the Americans promised to agree to the application of sovereignty immediately after the declaration in Washington, and subsequently changed their minds. The Americans also originally promised that they would allow the needed changes to be made to the map, and then dug their heels in opposition against them.

The Americans were disappointed that the Israeli Right didn’t embrace every part of the plan. They were also offended that Israel did not rule out the possibility of Chinese involvement in major infrastructure projects in Israel.

But more importantly, the Americans were amazed to discover that the person who is slated to become prime minister a year and a half from now, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, isn’t at all interested in applying Israeli law to Judea and Samaria, regardless of the map chosen. Since then, their enthusiasm for their own plan has waned, along with their flexibility and patience. The same Israeli political officials who prevented the formation of a narrow right-wing government, arguing that sovereignty was a move that demanded broad support, found out that a prime minister-designate who opposes the move is worse for the sovereignty plan than an opposition leader who opposes it.

But we can find our way out of the mess and reach an agreement that will benefit both the US and the Jewish people. The US will sign a memorandum of understanding, give a little when it comes to the maps, and let us handle our domestic politics on our own. At the same time, Israel should cooperate with the US when it comes to China, and announce that it is willing to adopt the Trump plan in full as the basis for future negotiations. The clock is ticking, but we still have time.