[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
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