Jordan must not socially distance from Judea and Samaria's Arabs

[Published 27 April 2020]

Formation of a National Unity Government in Israel has focused attention on the future of Judea and Samaria — 4% of the territory of the Mandate for Palestine — in which sovereignty still remains unallocated between Jews and Arabs.

President Trump’s Peace Plan published on January 28, 2020 has been endorsed by Israel.

Trump’s Plan proposes that Israeli sovereignty be extended into parts of Judea and Samaria – with the balance reserved to create a second Arab state in former Palestine – in addition to Jordan – for the first time in recorded history.

The PLO, Arab League and the international community have rejected Trump’s proposals.

However US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has given the greenlight to Israel proceeding with extending Israeli sovereignty in about 30% of Judea and Samaria now the new Israeli Government of National Unity is finalised.

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz has agreed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can seek Parliament’s approval for Israeli sovereignty to be extended into about 30% of Judea and Samaria after July 1st. in accordance with the decisions of a joint US-Israel mapping committee.

Israel’s entitlement to do so is grounded in the legal rights vested by the international community in the Jewish People pursuant to:

1. The San Remo Resolution dated April 25, 1920

2. Article 95 Treaty of Sevres dated August 10, 1920,

3. Article 6 Mandate for Palestine dated July 24, 1922,

4. Article 16 Treaty of Lausanne dated July 24, 1923

5.Article 80 United Nations Charter 1945

These commitments have been previously breached by:

1. The Council of the League of Nations approving article 25 being inserted in the Mandate for Palestine - allowing Britain to postpone or withhold the Jewish National Home being reconstituted in Transjordan - 77% of the territory of the Mandate for Palestine

2. Britain unilaterally granting independence to Transjordan on May 25, 1946 contrary to article 5 of the Mandate for Palestine

3. Britain handing back its Mandate to the United Nations — uncompleted — on May 15th 1948 — leaving the Jews to defend themselves against six invading Arab armies from neighbouring States.

The European Union has now hypocritically chosen to strongly oppose Israel extending sovereignty into Judea and Samaria after July 1st.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell released the following statement:

”…the EU’s position on the status of the territories occupied by Israel in 1967 remains unchanged. The EU does not recognize Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank. The EU reiterates that any annexation would constitute a serious violation of international law.”

Borrell is way off the mark:

1. Not “sovereignty over the occupied West Bank” — but “sovereignty over 30% of Judea and Samaria — land designated for reconstitution of the Jewish National Home under internationally-negotiated agreements”

2. Not “annexation” — but “the restoration of sovereignty lost 3000 years ago by the Jewish people in its biblical heartland”

3. Not “a serious violation of international law”: Israeli sovereignty is being applied in accordance with international agreements that the international community is obligated to uphold.

Trump should focus on Jordan — having occupied and ruled Judea and Samaria between 1948 and 1967 — to replace the PLO in negotiations with Israel on Trump’s additional Arab State proposal.

The PLO — only founded in 1964 - expressly stipulated under article 24 of its Charter that it did:

“not exercise any territorial sovereignty over the West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,”

The PLO reversed its position in 1968 after Israel gained control in the 1967 Six Day War.

Judea and Samaria’s Arab residents were Jordanian citizens between 1954 and 1988. Socially distancing from them now is the last thing Jordan should be doing.

Author’s note: The cartoon—commissioned exclusively for this article—is by Yaakov Kirschen aka “Dry Bones”- one of Israel’s foremost political and social commentators—whose cartoons have graced the columns of Israeli and international media publications for decades. His cartoons can be viewed at Drybonesblog

Trump-hatred divides American Zionists 100 years after San Remo

[Published 20 April 2020]

Celebrations marking the 100th Anniversary of the signing of the San Remo Resolution on 25 April 1920 by Britain, France, Italy and Japan will be marred by bitter confrontation between those American Zionists who support Jewish sovereignty being restored in 30% of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and those who don’t.

Rejoicing was the order of the day as the Times of London pointed out on 26 April 1920.

Judea and Samaria – the Jewish People’s ancient and biblical heartland – was included in the land designated for “close settlement by Jews” whilst “ensuring that the rights and position of other sections of the population are not prejudiced” under article 6 of the 1922 League of Nations Mandate for Palestine.

Israel today exercises full security and administrative control in about 60% of Judea and Samaria – “Area C” – 150000 of whose residents are Arab and 464000 Jews - under the 1993 Oslo Accords. Negotiations to resolve the final status of Area C and the remaining 40% of Judea and Samaria – Areas “A” and “B” under control of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) - have been non-existent since 2014.

President Trump’s Peace Plan - released on 28 January 2020 - provides the first realistic opportunity in 100 years since the San Remo Resolution to restore Jewish sovereignty in Judea and Samaria - and create a second Arab state in Mandatory Palestine never contemplated at San Remo.

The PLO and the Arab League have rejected Trump’s plan out of hand.

President Trump nevertheless has decided to proceed with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to restore Jewish sovereignty in about 30% of Area C. A joint US-Israel mapping committee is presently finalising details identifying the particular areas.

American Zionist groups have attacked this Trump-Netanyahu plan of action – urging Benny Gantz –engaged in trying to form a Government of National Unity with Netanyahu - to not agree to change the existing status quo in Judea and Samaria.

One such group - the Israel Policy Forum (IPF) - has written to Gantz:

“We write to you as American Jewish communal leaders who are proudly Zionist, unquestionably pro-Israel, and who have devoted our lives to supporting the State of Israel and ensuring an ironclad relationship between Israel and Diaspora Jewry.”

IPF proclaims:

“We have strongly objected to Israel unilaterally annexing West Bank territory and applying sovereignty to Jewish settlements, whether according to the parameters of the Trump plan or any other similar proposal, at any point in time.”

IPF couches its plea in the language of the enemies of the Jewish people – “unilaterally annexing West Bank territory and applying sovereignty” - rather than “restoring Jewish sovereignty in 30% of Judea and Samaria”

138 prominent American Jewish Communal leaders including Charles Bronfman and Sir James Wolfensohn have signed this letter.

These Zionist naysayers are repudiating the miraculous restoration of long-lost sovereignty in Judea and Samaria promised at San Remo 100 years ago.

Trump-hatred has driven these American Zionists to sacrifice the Jewish People’s long-term national interest for short term partisan American politics.

Their pleas have failed.

Under the Government of National Unity just announced it is being reported that the Government will be applying sovereignty in the Jordan Valley and Judea and Samaria according to Trump’s Peace Plan from early July.

Hopefully these dissenting American Zionists will now relent and support the Trump-Netanyahu historic decision.

David Singer is an Australian Lawyer, a Foundation Member of the International Analyst Network and Convenor of Jordan is Palestine International — an organization calling for sovereignty of the West Bank and Gaza to be allocated between Israel and Jordan as the two successor States to the Mandate for Palestine. Previous articles written by him can be found at: jordanispalestine.blogspot.com

PLO continues to denigrate Trump peace plan and ignore elections

[Published 13 April 2020]

The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) has cranked up its propaganda machine to continue denigrating President Trump’s deal of the century - as a joint US-Israel Mapping Committee is finalising those areas in Judea and Samaria on Trump’s map where Jewish sovereignty can be restored after 3,000 years.

The PLO rejected Trump’s plan on the day it was published – 28 January 2020 — even though it provided for the creation of a second Arab State in former Palestine — in addition to Jordan — for the first time in recorded history.

WAFA — the Palestinian news and information agency — has attacked Trump’s move to start implementing his plan in an article headlined:“PLO official warns of Israeli plan to annex parts of West Bank” — which headline itself is false and misleading for the following reasons:

1. It is not an Israeli plan but Trump’s plan being applied by Israel in tandem with Trump

2. Trump’s plan does not involve annexation by Israel - rather the restoration of Jewish sovereignty after 3000 years in the Jewish people’s ancient and biblical heartland in areas authorised by the San Remo Conference and Treaty of Sevres in 1920, the League of Nations Mandate for Palestine in 1922 and the United Nations Charter.

3. “West Bank” was only coined in 1950 to replace the 3000 years old geographic place name “Judea and Samaria” — after all the Jews living there had been ethnically cleansed by Transjordan during the 1948 War of Independence - and Judea & Samaria was unified with Transjordan to form a new territorial entity— renamed Jordan.

Wafa’s report references a statement by Ahmad Majdalani — Member of the PLO Executive Committee and Minister of Social Affairs:

“Uncovered reports that Washington and Tel Aviv are about to agree on the maps of annexation [of parts of the West Bank] — at a time the world is preoccupied with the war on coronavirus — falls within the framework of the US plan to implement the “deal of the century”

Note:

1. No uncovered reports are produced

2. Repetition of the false and misleading terms "annexation" and "West Bank"

3.The world might be preoccupied with the war on coronavirus but Governments —i ncluding the US and Israeli Governments — have not stopped governing and making decisions, and to suggest they should is arrant nonsense

Wafa asserts:

“The PLO official stressed that the US-Israeli plan undermines the basic principles of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process and the resolutions of the international community, calling on the latter to compel Israel to abide by these resolutions.”

No mention that:

1. Negotiations between Israel and the PLO spanning various periods between 1993 and 2014 have failed to produce any resolution

2. negotiations have not been held since 2014

Majdalani concludes:

“This plan, drawn with maps by the teams of the Israeli occupation and the Trump administration, is the actual implementation of the “deal of the century”, which means an end to the two-state solution.”

False:

1. Israel’s occupies 60% and the PLO 40% of Judea and Samaria pursuant to the 1993 Oslo Accords

2. The “two-state” solution is very much alive under Trump’s Plan. It just doesn’t meet the PLO’s non-negotiable demand for the last 53 years claiming a state in 100% of Judea and Samaria.

The PLO has not called any general election since 2006.

Holding elections now would allow 95% of Judea and Samaria’s Arab population currently living under the PLO’s tyrannical and oppressive governance in Areas “A” and “B” to have their say on Trump’s two-state proposal and the PLO’s continuing rule over them.

The deathly-silent international community needs to stop fawning over the PLO and demand such long-overdue elections take place.

Author’s note: The cartoon, commissioned exclusively for this article, is by Yaakov Kirschen aka “Dry Bones” — one of Israel’s foremost political and social commentators — whose cartoons have graced the columns of Israeli and international media publications for decades. His cartoons can be viewed at Drybonesblog

"Restoring Jewish sovereignty" is not "West Bank annexation"

[Published 6 April 1920]

Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz have reached a critical point in their negotiations to form a Government of National Unity: whether to seize the opportunity presented by President Trump to restore Jewish sovereignty in Judea and Samaria — the heartland of the ancient and biblical Jewish National Home — after an absence of 3000 years.

Netanyahu wants to do so in tandem with President Trump — immediately a Government of at least 61 members headed by him as Prime Minister is formed. Gantz is not prepared to do so unless the Arab States — notably Jordan — and the international community agree – virtually guaranteeing it will never happen.

The Jewish media do not seem to have grasped this unique opportunity given to the Jewish People to turn a 3,000 year old dream into a miraculous reality.

Using what can only be described as the language of the enemies of the Jewish people – the mainstream Jewish media in Israel and elsewhere have been headlining their reports of the ongoing struggle between Netanyahu and Gantz with very similar headlines:

1. “Gantz weighing limited West Bank settlement annexation – report”

2. “Two leaders forced to yell to each other with PM in precautionary isolation; main disagreement is still over annexing parts of West Bank, which Netanyahu wants as his ‘legacy’”

3. “Gantz reportedly prepared to accept limited annexation of West Bank”

4. “Report: Gantz agrees to limited West Bank annexation, inches closer to unity gov’t”

5. “Dan Shapiro: Gantz and Netanyahu are ‘haggling’ over West Bank annexation”

6. “West Bank annexation remains a sticking point in Israel unity government talks”

These Jewish media reports are doing the Jewish People a great disservice.

The correct name of the “West Bank” is “Judea and Samaria” — the geographic place name used for 3,000 years until 1950 — when its name was changed by Transjordan following its illegal occupation of Judea and Samaria and the ethnic cleansing of all Jews living there in the 1948 War of Independence. Transjordan and Judea and Samaria were unified into one territorial entity and renamed Jordan. The West Bank was the area of Jordan on the West Bank of the River Jordan. The area on the East Bank of the Jordan River comprised what was formerly Transjordan.

The term “Judea and Samaria” had been recently used in Part II A of the 1947 UN Partition Resolution.

The 1950 change of name to “West Bank” has since been used to mask any Jewish claims or connection to the land. To rub salt into the wound the United Nations now calls it the “Occupied Palestinian Territories”

The term “annexation” connotes taking something to which you have no claim. Yet the 1922 League of Nations Mandate for Palestine included Judea and Samaria as areas in which the Jewish National Home could be “reconstituted”. This right to do so is preserved today by article 80 of the United Nations Charter.

Language is important.

The Jewish media is letting the Jewish People down at this critical moment in Jewish History. In seeking to underplay the Netanyahu-Gantz divide — the Jewish media is giving ammunition to our enemies to use “West Bank annexation” at every opportunity.

“West Bank annexation” is a distinctly anti-Jewish phrase. “Restoring Jewish sovereignty in Judea and Samaria” states the Jewish case. Four more words for media to include in their headlines and reports that create a very different perception and understanding of what is at stake.

As Jews recount the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt at their Seders this week — think of the miracle Jews may be soon blessed to witness with their own eyes: reclaiming patrimony in the ancient Jewish homeland after 3,000 years.

Author’s note: The cartoon – commissioned exclusively for this article — is by Yaakov Kirschen aka “Dry Bones” - one of Israel’s foremost political and social commentators – whose cartoons have graced the columns of Israeli and international media publications for decades. His cartoons can be viewed at Drybonesblog