TO APRIL 9
Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank if he wins a fifth term as Israel’s Prime Minister.
With voters going to the polls on Tuesday, the pledge was seen as a last-minute pitch to right-wing voters, considered his electoral base.
In a tight race against the recently-established, centre-right Blue and White party, the Prime Minister is competing for votes with smaller pro-annexation and ultra-nationalist parties, some of whom are considered potential king-makers.
On Saturday night, the Prime Minister was asked in an interview with Israel’s Channel 12 TV why he had not already annexed some of the larger Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory.
He said: “Who says that we won’t do it? We are on the way and we are discussing it.
“You are asking whether we are moving on to the next stage – the answer is yes, we will move to the next stage.
“I am going to extend sovereignty and I don’t distinguish between settlement blocs and the isolated settlements.
“From my perspective, any point of settlement is Israeli, and we have responsibility, as the Israeli government. I will not uproot anyone, and I will not transfer sovereignty to the Palestinians.”
The West Bank is home to an estimated 400,000 Jewish settlers, who began occupying the territory after it was captured in the Six-Day War of 1967.
Another 200,000 Jews live in East Jerusalem, while 2.5 million Palestinians live in the West Bank.
Settlements are considered illegal under international law, although this is disputed by Israel.
Most analysts believe the large-scale annexation of Jewish West Bank settlements would make a future Palestinian state unviable, and hence deal a damaging blow to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said Mr Netanyahu’s election pledge was "not surprising".
He said: "Israel will continue to brazenly violate international law for as long as the international community will continue to reward Israel with impunity, particularly with the Trump administration's support and endorsement of Israel's violation of the national and human rights of the people of Palestine."
A spokesman for Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told Reuters news agency: "Any measures and any announcements will not change the facts. Settlements are illegal and they will be removed."
