Netanyahu Reaffirms West Bank Annexation despite Petition of Former Security Officials

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.(Photo: File)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has doubled down on his commitment to annexing the occupied West Bank after almost 300 former security officials signed a petition urging him to reconsider.

In a letter to Netanyahu, “Commanders for Israel’s Security” (CIS) – a self-described nonpartisan body of nearly 300 retired security officials – urged the prime minister to hold a public referendum before annexing the West Bank to Israel, claiming the move would endanger security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and leave a power vacuum in the territory.

The letter wrote that CIS is “united in the conviction that a two-state agreement with the Palestinians, as part of a regional security framework, is essential for Israel’s security, as well as for its future as the democratic home of the Jewish people”.

The petition continued:

“A decision by the Knesset to pass legislation for annexation, however partial, can only be interpreted in the territories, the region and the world as a national decision to slam the door on any future arrangement.”

Netanyahu, however, has slammed CIS’ letter, writing on Twitter that “land in [the West Bank] is not only a guarantee of Israel’s security – it is also the heritage of our forefathers.”

In what was seen as an attempt to appeal to right-wing voters ahead of Israel’s general election, Netanyahu last month promised to annex the occupied West Bank if he were re-elected prime minister.

(Middle East Monitor, PC, Social Media)

(The Palestine Chronicle is a registered 501(c)3 organization, thus, all donations are tax deductible.)
Our Vision For Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders & Intellectuals Speak Out