T. Belman. As I have maintained, the Plan is only a vision and the boundaries of the potential statelet will be open for negotiations. It makes sense to liberate the enclaves. But that is a separate issue from the extension of Israeli law to the Jordan valley which should take place, regardless. The next week is crucial.
Among ideas floated would be redefining some Area C lands as Area B; Israel said to present edited version of Trump map that addresses enclaves
TOI STAFF 30 June 2020, 10:20 pm
US peace envoy Avi Berkowitz (L) with US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman in Jerusalem on June 29, 2020. (Avi Berkowitz/Twitter)
The Trump administration is reportedly pushing Israel to offer the Palestinians some sort of compensation in exchange for the unilateral annexation of some of the West Bank land they want for their future state.
Among the ideas is transferring an area to the Palestinians where they can build without limits, or redefining some Area C lands, where Israel maintains full control, as Area B, where Palestinians have civil control, Channel 12 reported Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Kan public broadcaster reported that Israeli officials have passed along to the White House a slightly edited version of the Trump peace plan’s conceptual map that better connects a group of at least 15 isolated settlements to the rest of the West Bank territory the proposal envisions Israel annexing.
While the plan sees these communities being transformed into enclaves surrounded by the future Palestinian state, the report said that the edited map drawn up by the Israeli team would allow for the annexation of additional land surrounding those settlements so that they do not remain enclaves. In exchange, the Israeli side redrew the conceptual map to give to the Palestinians land in the Judaean Desert that Israel views as less integral.
While not specified in the report, the Israeli-edited map published by Kan appeared to transfer parts of the so-called Triangle of Arab towns just west of the northern West Bank, to the future Palestinian state. It is an idea that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed he would not pursue after the residents of those areas voiced massive opposition to the prospect, which was included in the Trump plan.
Netanyahu met earlier Tuesday with US Ambassador David Friedman and special Middle East envoy Avi Berkowitz, a day ahead of his self-imposed date for beginning to annex as much as 30 percent of the West Bank — all of the settlements along with the strategic Jordan Valley.
But he appeared to indicate after the meeting that he would miss the July 1 target date. “I spoke about the question of sovereignty, which we are working on these days and we will continue to work on in the coming days,” Netanyahu said, meaning the groundwork ahead of the move will continue after July 1.
ARUTZ SHEVA REPORTS;
The US administration is pressing Israel to make a significant gesture towards the Palestinian Authority in exchange for Israel applying sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, Channel 12 News reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, US officials have proposed that Israel give land in exchange for land, in a manner that would allow Palestinian Arabs to build without restrictions or change the status of Area C (where Israel maintains security and civilian control) to that of Area B.
T. Belman. Israel should enlarge certain B areas to include the immediately adjacent land where most of the Area C Arabs live. Thus Israel would solve the problem of citizenship for these most of the Arabs in Area C by identifying where they live as Area B. This could be done as a tradeoff for enlarging the enclaves.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
I like the rest of your post. But I take issue about “technical issue”…It seems to indicate (to me) a strong implication of some triviality yet to be “crafted” and squeezed into the acceptable legal means of facilitating citizenship. My point really IS that is is NOT for the Supreme Court, but for the Interior Minister. The “technical” although worthy of discussion, was not the main point I wanted to clarify.
I dispute it. Citizenship, as well as much else, it the sole purview of the Ministry of the Interior. The Laws are long ago made, the Citizenship Law, or maybe Act, is long established. I don’t see how it can be just a “technical”issue”-which implies a “tweak here, a twist there, and .. Lo and Behold….
Perhaps we just have different descriptions for the same thing (although I don’t see it as the same thing). .not like,.you know, “Tomato and tomaato”…
Reminds me of the OOOld joke about the teacher asking the class who was the greatest man ever-for a prize. The class gave a variety of answers, and the Jewish kid said “jesus”.and won the prize..When his puzzled family, looking at the medal prize, asked about this ,he said “Well deep in my heart I KNOW it is Moses, but….bisness is bisness.”…. You’ve heard it before as a kid I’m sure…
Yes my itinerary around Tel Aviv as a brand new dumbbell, if written up, would rival one of H.V. Morton’s classic series “In Search Of..” “In Search of a Teudat Oleh”..
and reminiscent of Jerome K Jerome’s fabulous “Three Men in a Boat” title…with a tag-(“to say nothing of the dog”) “to say nothing of my apartment”…
Mae Wast is one of my very favourite persons, a brilliant and outspoken dame, years ahead of her time. Our sedate housekeeper and maidservants, in the old days when we had them, used to imitate her, her comments, her swagger etc….fascinating.
I had a girlfriend who walked just like that….
That is giving a 2nd weapon (leverage) to Abbas to get rid of Trump’s plan. Non-sensical!
@ Edgar G.:
I think you just supported my argument. By “technical issue” I meant the means or form through which they would get done what they want to get done of the same order as saying it’s just a matter of which pocket they take the gun out of in the name of the law or the rules or Jewish values or compassion for all or Black Lives Matter or Anne Frank or global warming, excuse me, climate change, non-binding UN resolutions, Peace in Our Time, or Chop Suey, may it’s blessed name be eternally praised, or whatever they think will get over this week.
Your experience sounds like a scene out of an Ephraim Kishon movie.
nervousI KNEW it. I said the ther day that Netanyahu was ‘”dis-combobbled”” after giving Gantz and cronies so many of the most important ministries . Just now I read in Arutz 7 that he is off balance, nervous and uneasy as he realises that he gave Gantz too much power and in the next couple of weeks will be deciding on whether to declare an election etc. paraphrased..
@ Sebastien Zorn:
O.K. I understand your position now. But I believe it’s hardly a technical issue, it’s a LEGAL issue and well as a nationally pre-eminent matter. To have perhaps hundreds of thousands of YESHA Arabs who’ve been brought up to hate, despise and kill Jews, as possible citizens, is a HUGE problem…IF it eventualises. But if it does, and I doubt it, it won’t be through the courts but through the Nationality Law, which is the province of the Minister of the Interior.
*****Here I have a story….I just remembered that when I became an Oleh Chadash, it was through the Ministry of the Interior , and the next day, after arrival, I/we had to attend at a ministry office. We were led a chase that is a story in itself, which could happen “only in Israel”.. “Handed-on” by an actual round of 4-5 different Tel Aviv offices, (we had a street map T.G.) ending at the very one where we started…. only at the desk beside the first one. And then, I was told…”Oh, Moishe, he’s in Jerusalem today, come back tomorrow. This took from about 8 a.m until nearly 5 p.m. An all-day waste, It gave me a jaundiced outlook right away, which I always kept at the back of my mind…. A real “Yiddishe Bisniss”…. And those grubby, careless, (non)”assistants”.
We actually flew to Israel originally because the Israeli office sent me a telegram saying that my apartment was “available”… When we went to claim the apartment-in Holon- we were told barefaced, that “we have no apartment for you”… I remember the woman very well her name was Sara Ya’ari…I showed her the cable, literally shaking it under her nose….She calmly said…”available” doesn’t mean they are ready etc etc. She showed me exactly on a wall map where the apartment was… “but it isn’t built yet”….maybe in 2-3 years….
I’ll never forget my life in Israel. And as it began, that’s how it proceeded…. the whole 12-13 years…..*****
To get back to the original point in question, and apologies for forgetting about it for the moment….Of course, the courts COULD come into it through the Arabs appealing a negative decision in court, but no Israeli court should accept it. ….Again, this politically aggressive Supreme (lawmaking) Court is capable of ruling an ANYTHING, especially on matters that they illegally stick their noses into.
As we all well know…!!
@ Edgar G.:
Oh, I see. Thanks for clarifying. But, isn’t that just a technical issue? As you pointed out, somebody in a position of power — which could also be the courts, which have arrogated more and more power over policy — could easily decide that it was a Jewish value to coddle antisemites and give them the keys to the city. They’ve done it before. They do it all the time here and there. In the US, I even had Orthodox or Modern Orthodox Jews arguing with me that we should lobby for letting in in hordes of Syrian Muslim refugees in the name of Anne Frank, of all people! And you have many Jews in Israel, even in leading positions, arguing that sovereignty is wrong because it violates Arab rights. By the way, who has the MInistry of the Interior, right now? Not Blue and White? I know Bibi gave them the lion’s share of ministries.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
I don’t see it as anything to do with legal or illegal migration. The YESHA Arabs are NOT Israeli citizens. The conferring of citizenship is not within the purview of the Supreme Court, but of the Ministry of the Interior. You were concerned that either the Court or Gantz could confer citizenship on them……..as “I” understood it. You wrote..”Couldn’t the Supreme Court or Gantz & CO …”
If this, and my other attempts are not clear, perhaps I misunderstand your original comment, and the fault is mine…. “60” …you’re only a mere lad…
@ Edgar G.:
Thanks but I still don’t understand what comment of mine you were referring to or what your observation about it was. I wasn’t talking about illegal migration so it seemed the next sentences were a digression. Please clarify. I turned 60 last year so maybe it’s me.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
I wasn’t exactly disagreeing, just giving an answer to your question/suggested assertion. I rarely disagree with you, we are on the same path 90% of the time.
@ Edgar G.:
I read it but it wasn’t clear what you were disagreeing with.
“US official to ‘Post’: July 1 was never an annexation deadline for America”
— https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/us-official-to-post-july-1-was-never-an-annexation-deadline-for-america-633510
Ha ha! Fooled ya’! 🙂 🙂 🙂
For a while there, I was starting to see “red lines” every time I closed my eyes.
“The next week is crucial.”
As with other “crucial” times that have long since come and gone, wake me when it’s over.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
Stupid me..I just realised that my whole post was about acquiring citizenship, and if you had read the WHOLE post instead of just the first couple of words, you couldn’t fail to have known what they meant………….????
And this is a puzzle which, for me, shall remain for ever- …unsolved…!!
@ andyoistins:
I have never done so except in “inverted commas”…always refer to “infiltrator Arabs”, or YESHA Arabs , etc. And a few years ago I posted prolifically about it, criticising those, like Carolyn Glick ,and others who had fallen into that bad habit. Actually every time I saw them referred to as “Ps”, I zoomed in on it. But it seems to have a “West Bank”, gene. I also did the same when coming across “West Bank” for quite a while and always refer to the area as YESHA. But Jews wouldn’t be Jews if they didn’t always stupidly help the enemy’s story-line. It runs easily off the tongue.
It’s a Lost Cause…like the Confederate States of America.
@ Bear Klein:
That fits in with the Arutz lead article today from Mike Evans, a major Evangelical leader who said basically the same thing, that Trump will win only with their support and it’ll be tied tn Trump’s actions on Sovereignty.
Support and implied threat together. That’s how I saw it.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
To your suggestion that the Supreme Court and/or Gantz could give the Arabs Israeli citizenship/……..Yes……amnesia does strike around age 60 me lad……..
@ Sebastien Zorn:
we need to stop calling the Arab invaders Palestinian a title invented by boy lover Arafat Judea is for the Jews
@ Bear Klein:
If it’s legal, maybe Ted could set up a betting pool?
Edgar G. Said:
To what do you refer?
@ Edgar G.:
You don’t think so about what, Edgar? It sounded as if you provided more evidence for my concern about citizenship. And another thing about that 4 year building freeze that makes me leery, as I may have mentioned before, Trump will be a lame duck president in 4 years. We will be exactly where we are now, maybe worse off, since whoever his successor is will be an unknown quantity.
I do not buy that this article is more than gossip. Israel will apply sovereignty without making concessions to the PA nor agree to a PAL State. Wait a week or two. After Trump makes a big announcement that he needs for his core Evangelical voters.
The Israeli gesture is not declaring sovereignty over 100%. Everything else being demanded is window dressing.Ignore the request and declare sovereignty over the 30% today July 1.
Americans are actually negotiating ON BEHALF of the PA while the PA is playing hard to get and Israel is negotiating from a weaker position.
A while ago, it occurred to me that Americans view geopolitics as a team game where the players of their team are allowed (even required) to play tricks on the opposing team to achieve the American team’s goals.
Most of the time, the opposing team doesn’t even know it’s being played with and what the rules of the game are.
The only defense is to refuse to be drawn into it, i.e., to refuse to play.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
The Arabs are pretty much building without limits now.
The Jews are voluntarily limiting, freezing, and demolishing their construction.
It does not look good. Too much pressure all of a sudden to improvise a change of plans which will allow Abbas to get concessions while The PA denounces the entire process. Let them make a concession. They will not even communicate. No deal. It is a trap for Israel, no matter how you view it. Bibi should focus on Israel’s National Security.
Israel is better off exactly where it is right now.
If Trump should be re-elected, then and only then can this ‘plan’, the one with the stupid name, “deal of the century” , might be discussed further, but it is looking as dead as The Zinni Plan.
I think the best compromise is resolving a certain other issue, the whale in the room. On that, a consensus with certain other nations in the region actually look excellent.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
No I don’t think so, although I could be mistaken. I seem to recall years ago a news item , maybe in the JP, that Israel had decided to give citizenship to a group of refugees from somewhere….(?) because they themselves, the Jews, had been in similar circumstances, an act of Rachmonas. I think it was the Ministry of the Interior, not the Supreme Court. There is a Citizenship Law.
It just occurred to me that It was not in the JP, but on a news item from another Israeli outlet. I stopped reading the JP many years ago.
@ Sebastien Zorn:What I just proposed has, in fact, been Yamina’s position from its founding though now they may be ok with partial sovereignty over Area C if it doesn’t entail Pal statehood, I’m not sure. This is all starting to smack of salami tactics to wittle Israel down. Also, why no referendum on something this important.? Another resemblance to Oslo.
@ Edgar G.:
Well, not exactly limbo. Israel currently has joint security control over Area B and, in practice, can go into Area A, as well, as needed, tI believe, to root out terror cells. None of that must change.
Correction of earlier typo, I had intended to vote for Huckabee but he dropped out so I voted for Cruz. It was just between him and Trump by the time the primary came to NY where Trump won handily, and unsurprisingly, given Cruz’s hostile remarks about New York. Trump was making TSS noises during the primary but adopted Cruz’s position after winning.
@ Edgar G.:
In that scenario, couldn’t the Supreme Court and/or Ganz and Co. give citizenship to the Pals? Doesn’t it make more sense to extend sovereignty over Area C where Jews are the overwhelming majority, and the Israeli military already has full control, now, leaving the rest in limbo where it is, for now?
@ Sebastien Zorn:
This is most likely why Netanyahu is delaying any move towards sovereignty. and is describing it as “intricate”…. The US lately seems to coming up with something new (to us anyway) every day, more beneficial to the undeserving Arabs and more damaging to the Israelis.
Under these circumstances, I’d likely-if I were to be in charge there-, Immediately extend Israeli Law over the whole of YESHA, Areas A,B, and C. Ignore the EU, and tell the US that we most highly and thankfully appreciate their genuine goodwill and closeness, and will always be 100% their ally… but…. to fabricate a fake state which has NO right to be there, a mortal enemy inside our territory, is just impossible, and that NO Israeli Government which wished to sit it’s full term, would EVER accept this.
Are they playing the donkey and the carrot on the stick…..or what.
This is exactly why I voted for Huckabee in the Republican primary in 2016 before voting for Trump in the general election.
I thought this was just about applying civil instead of military law to Jewish communities in Area C while, otherwise retaining full military control over the rest of Area C. When did this become about ceding territory? Isn’t this just another TSS, albeit one that doesn’t envision evicting Jews from their homes? (though the current version appears to isolate some currently protected outlying Jewish towns in Palestinian pogrom land, which is what has launched much of the opposition from Jewish communities in Yesha.) Whatever happened to, “There is no Diplomatic Solution?’ Isn’t that what this is? isn’t this looking more like Oslo by the minute
“Among the ideas is transferring an area to the Palestinians where they can build without limits.” So would the 4 year building freeze only apply to Israel and, after that, would there be limits for Jews to build as there are now? Didn’t you say, earlier, that the Palestinians would be legal residents? Why is it necessary to cede territory to avoid them becoming citizens? How will you prevent them from allowing massive immigration into those areas.