Benjamin Netanyahu says he intends to annex Jordan Valley


Taylor Heyman
  • English
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to annex the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank if he is re-elected on September 17.

Mr Netanyahu said the move would be a first step, with other settlements to follow after the publication of US President Donald Trump's peace plan for the region.

"Today I announce my intention, after the establishment of a new government, to apply Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea," he said in a live broadcast on Israeli TV.

Mr Trump's peace plan is due to be unveiled after next week's election.

The plan would present “a historic, one-time chance to extend Israeli sovereignty over our settlements in Judea and Samaria, and also to other areas important to our security, our heritage and our future,” he said, using the Biblical Hebrew names for the West Bank.

“I ask you to give me a clear mandate to extend Israeli sovereignty over all the settlements."

Mr Netanyahu said his annexation plans would not include Palestinian cities such as the Jordan Valley's Jericho.

The area has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 war. It makes up a quarter of the West Bank and is crucial to the prospect of a future Palestinian state.

More than 400,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements that are considered to be illegal under international law. About 2.7 million Palestinians live in the territory.

“If Prime Minister Netanyahu is allowed to implement his plans of annexation, he would have succeeded in burying any chance of peace between Palestinians and Israelis,” said Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

“The international community must stop such madness. We need to end the conflict and not to keep it for another 100 years.”

Hanan Ashrawi, another senior Palestinian official, told AFP on Tuesday: "He is not only destroying the two-state solution, he is destroying all chances of peace.

"This is a total game changer."

Ministers from the Arab League took similar issue with Mr Netanyahu's election pledge.

League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said after a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo that the move would undermine any chances of progress in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

Saudi Arabia has condemned Mr Netanyahu's move and called an emergency meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation's group of foreign ministers, state TV reported.

In May, Commanders for Israel’s Security, a nonpartisan group of about 300 retired senior military and security officers, warned Mr Netanyahu that extending sovereignty to parts of the West Bank would lead to the collapse of the Palestinian Authority and a violent power vacuum.

But the Israeli leader became even more determined.

“Swaths of land in Judea and Samaria are not just a guarantee of Israel’s security, they are also our patrimony,” he tweeted in response.

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Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as,  “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.

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Day 2, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Dinesh Chandimal has inherited a challenging job, after being made Sri Lanka’s Test captain. He responded in perfect fashion, with an easy-natured century against Pakistan. He brought up three figures with a majestic cover drive, which he just stood and admired.

Stat of the day – 33 It took 33 balls for Dilruwan Perera to get off the mark. His time on zero was eventful enough. The Sri Lankan No 7 was given out LBW twice, but managed to have both decisions overturned on review. The TV replays showed both times that he had inside edged the ball onto his pad.

The verdict In the two previous times these two sides have met in Abu Dhabi, the Tests have been drawn. The docile nature of proceedings so far makes that the likely outcome again this time, but both sides will be harbouring thoughts that they can force their way into a winning position.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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