[[{"content_id":"4198","domain_id":"0","lang_id":"en","portal_id":"2","owner_id":"83","user_id":"7","view_accesslevel_id":"0","edit_accesslevel_id":"0","delete_accesslevel_id":"0","editor_id":"0","content_title":"Israel\u2019s Gantz wants annexation plan shelved: Ministers","content_number":"","content_date_event":"2020-07-18 22:41:17","content_summary":"Israel\u2019s prime minister-in-waiting and ruling coalition partner Benny Gantz reportedly wants a plan by current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex parts of the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley shelved.","content_summary_fill":"1","content_body":"Israel’s prime minister-in-waiting and ruling coalition partner Benny Gantz reportedly wants a plan by current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex parts of the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley shelved.\r\n\r\nNetanyahu had set July 1 as the date for the start of cabinet discussions on the annexation plan. But those discussions did not begin, amid openly expressed differences between Netanyahu and key members of his cabinet.\r\n\r\nNetanyahu has been driven ahead by President Donald Trump of the United States, who unveiled a plan for the Middle East in January that effectively sidelines the Palestinians.\r\n\r\nLast month, Gantz, who heads the Blue and White party and is serving currently as the Israeli minister of military affairs, suggested that the annexation plan should be postponed while Israel is dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.\r\n\r\nTwo Israeli cabinet ministers said on Friday that Gantz called for the shelving of the annexation plan and focusing instead on improving conditions for settlers, Reuters reported.\r\n\r\nNetanyahu and his former election rival Gantz struck a deal in April to form a joint cabinet, averting what would have been a fourth consecutive Israeli election due to failed attempts to form a coalition in just over a year.\r\n\r\nUnder the three-year coalition pact, Netanyahu will be prime minister for 18 months and Gantz will replace him afterwards.\r\n\r\nAlon Schuster, Israel’s agriculture minister and a member of Gantz’s party, said on Friday that he was working to achieve “cultivation and not annexation, now” for West Bank farmers.\r\n\r\n“We need to bring water to the Jordan Valley — for both the Israelis and the Palestinians who live there, by the way — and to improve electricity,” Schuster told Tel Aviv radio station 102 FM, according to Reuters.\r\n\r\nAnother minister from Blue and White said this was also Gantz’ approach, and that the party chief believed that working on West Bank infrastructure shared by settlers and Palestinians would match Trump’s plan.\r\n\r\nThe Israeli foreign minister says the regime’s plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank and Jordan Valley is unlikely to begin on July 1.\r\nThe Palestinians have dismissed Trump’s plan altogether because it meets almost none of their long-held demands for statehood.\r\n\r\nThe Palestinians want the occupied West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital. Trump’s plan envisions Jerusalem al-Quds as “Israel’s undivided capital” and allows the Tel Aviv regime to annex settlements in the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley. The plan also denies Palestinian refugees the right of return to their homeland, among other controversial terms.\r\n\r\nIsrael’s unlawful annexation push has drawn widespread criticisms from the entire international community, including the regime’s closest allies.\r\n\r\nThe United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and some Arab countries have all said annexation would violate international law and undermine the prospects of establishing a sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 boundaries.","content_html":"

Israel\u2019s prime minister-in-waiting and ruling coalition partner Benny Gantz reportedly wants a plan by current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to annex parts of the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley shelved.<\/p>\n\n

Netanyahu had set July 1 as the date for the start of cabinet discussions on the annexation plan. But those discussions did not begin, amid openly expressed differences between Netanyahu and key members of his cabinet.<\/p>\n\n

Netanyahu has been driven ahead by President Donald Trump of the United States, who unveiled a plan for the Middle East in January that effectively sidelines the Palestinians.<\/p>\n\n

Last month, Gantz, who heads the Blue and White party and is serving currently as the Israeli minister of military affairs, suggested that the annexation plan should be postponed while Israel is dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.<\/p>\n\n

Two Israeli cabinet ministers said on Friday that Gantz called for the shelving of the annexation plan and focusing instead on improving conditions for settlers, Reuters reported.<\/p>\n\n

Netanyahu and his former election rival Gantz struck a deal in April to form a joint cabinet, averting what would have been a fourth consecutive Israeli election due to failed attempts to form a coalition in just over a year.<\/p>\n\n

Under the three-year coalition pact, Netanyahu will be prime minister for 18 months and Gantz will replace him afterwards.<\/p>\n\n

Alon Schuster, Israel\u2019s agriculture minister and a member of Gantz\u2019s party, said on Friday that he was working to achieve \u201ccultivation and not annexation, now\u201d for West Bank farmers.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cWe need to bring water to the Jordan Valley \u2014 for both the Israelis and the Palestinians who live there, by the way \u2014 and to improve electricity,\u201d Schuster told Tel Aviv radio station 102 FM, according to Reuters.<\/p>\n\n

Another minister from Blue and White said this was also Gantz\u2019 approach, and that the party chief believed that working on West Bank infrastructure shared by settlers and Palestinians would match Trump\u2019s plan.<\/p>\n\n

The Israeli foreign minister says the regime\u2019s plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank and Jordan Valley is unlikely to begin on July 1.
\nThe Palestinians have dismissed Trump\u2019s plan altogether because it meets almost none of their long-held demands for statehood.<\/p>\n\n

The Palestinians want the occupied West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital. Trump\u2019s plan envisions Jerusalem al-Quds as \u201cIsrael\u2019s undivided capital\u201d and allows the Tel Aviv regime to annex settlements in the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley. The plan also denies Palestinian refugees the right of return to their homeland, among other controversial terms.<\/p>\n\n

Israel\u2019s unlawful annexation push has drawn widespread criticisms from the entire international community, including the regime\u2019s closest allies.<\/p>\n\n

The United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU), and some Arab countries have all said annexation would violate international law and undermine the prospects of establishing a sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 boundaries.<\/p>","content_source":"","content_url":"","content_columns":"0","content_date_start":"2020-07-18 22:41:17","content_date_finish":"2020-07-18 22:41:17","content_date_register":"2020-07-18 22:44:20","content_date_last_edit":"2020-07-18 22:44:20","content_show_img":"1","content_show_details":"0","content_show_related_img":"0","content_show_slider":"1","content_show_title_slider":"1","content_comment":"1","content_score":"0","content_recorded":"0","content_confirmed":"0","content_status":"1","content_kind":"0","tag_id":"5324","tag_word":"Benny Gantz,Benny Gantz,Israel\u2019s prime minister,Israel\u2019s prime minister,European Union,European Union","tag_service":"0","tag_total":"1","tag_soundex":"","attach_token":"2588995522","attach_date_register":"2020-07-18 22:43:49","attach_id":"8036","attach_file_ext":"jpg","attach_file_header":"image\/jpeg","attach_img_type":"2","attach_img_width":"1200","attach_img_height":"800","attach_file_media":"1","attach_show_watermark":"0","score_average":null,"score_count":null,"score_date_last":null,"visit_count":"626","visit_date_last":"2024-11-02 08:07:18","attach_title":"Israel\u2019s Gantz wants annexation plan shelved: Ministers\n 2","node_title":"Important,Palestine","ot_node_left_right":"[{\"node_id\":120, \"left\":51, \"right\":52},{\"node_id\":125, \"left\":62, \"right\":63}]","node_number":"6","allowable_node":"6"}]]