Israeli annexation of Judea and Samaria has been placed back on the table, with 15 Likud ministers—including Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana—signing a letter urging Netanyahu to do just that before the Knesset’s summer session ends on July 27.
Why annexation? Extending Israeli sovereignty over the entire of Judea and Samaria would “prevent another massacre in the heart of the country” and “ensure Israel’s security for generations,” the ministers wrote.
And why now? While according to the letter, the time for annexation is ripe following “the State of Israel’s historic achievements in the face of Iran’s axis of evil and its sympathizers,” there’s certainly more to this story.
For one, this may well be a right-wing attempt to attain compensation for ending the war in Gaza—or even a ceasefire. And they’re likely hoping for support from President Trump, whose 2020 Israeli-Palestinian peace plan would have seen Israel annex settlements in Judea and Samaria.