Alternate Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz invited Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to a meeting to discuss US President Donald Trump’s plan.
In remarks on Tuesday, Gantz said he was ready for such a meeting immediately, at any location chosen by Abbas.
“We won’t continue to wait for the Palestinians. If they say ‘no’ forever to everything, then we’ll be forced to move forward without them… But if they show any willingness to do so, I am ready to travel tomorrow morning to him [Abbas] in Ramallah, to talk to him and try to persuade him to push this plan forward,” he underlined.
Gantz continued: “The Palestinians continue to reject dialogue…but rather seek to drag us into unrest... This is not reasonable. We are dealing with a real opportunity to break the political deadlock. The mere fact that we succeed in breaking this deadlock gives us hope for change for the benefit of all.”
The Israeli defense minister also tried to downplay the risk of annexation on Israelis and settlers who reject the plan, saying: “We won’t take Palestinians into our territory; we won’t harm human rights or the right of movement. We’ll work in coordination with regional countries, and we’re in contact with them. We won’t endanger the peace agreements.”
He also tried to reassure Jordan, stressing that Israel wanted to work with the international community and with all the countries of the region to preserve peace agreements.
Political sources stated that the Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Aviv Kochavi, made several field visits to the West Bank to listen to area’s leaders, who warned that the annexation would lead to an escalation in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Kochavi told the forces he visited during military exercises on the northern front: “The exercises are naturally directed to the central fighting front; (Hezbollah), in the north, and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, after several weeks, you may find yourself in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), due to a breach of order or terrorist operations. The riots in Judea and Samaria may develop into fighting in the Gaza Strip.”
His comments are consistent with reports by the Shin Bet security service, which noted that the unilateral Israeli annexation of areas in the West Bank would lead to a “wave of violence that begins on the southern front, but turns into a broader escalation between Israel and the Palestinians.”
This article has been adapted from its original source.
