New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and several other top Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday warning of dire consequences for Israel if it continues its plan to annex part of the disputed West Bank, and the document promotes support from organizations that have asked to boycott Israel entirely.
A copy of Ocasio-Cortez’s letter was obtained by the Washington Free Beacon and other media, which was also signed by Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., And Representative Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. He warns that Israel’s planned movement “would lay the foundation for Israel to become an apartheid state” and threatens to cut US security assistance to Israel.
“Should the Israeli government continue down this path, we will work to ensure non-recognition of the annexed territories, as well as to seek legislation that conditions $ 3.8 billion in US military funds to Israel to ensure that US taxpayers do not Support annexation in any way, “the letter says:” We will include human rights conditions and the withholding of funds for the acquisition of Israeli weapons at sea equal to or greater than the amount that the Israeli government spends annually to finance settlements, as well like the policies and practices that they support and allow. “
The document claims it has the support of a number of anti-Israel groups, including leaders of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. For example, a sponsor, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), is a nonprofit organization that explicitly calls for a boycott of Israel until it meets what the group calls its “human rights” obligations.
At the same time, AMP claims to be non-discriminatory and says it condemns “all forms of racism and intolerance, including Islamophobia, anti-black racism, anti-immigrants, anti-Semitism and other forms of intolerance directed especially at people of color and indigenous peoples everywhere. “
The letter also has the support of the US pro-BDS campaign for Palestinian rights, which Tablet magazine says is “help[ing] facilitate tax-exempt donations to a Palestinian coalition that includes Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and other groups that the United States Department of State designates as terrorist organizations. “
The New York Post noted that another signatory to the letter, Defense for Children International – Palestine, also once faced accusations of “having ties to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a terrorist organization designated by the United States and the European Union . “
The American Committee on Israel’s Public Affairs (AIPAC) condemned the AOC-led letter on Twitter, saying it “explicitly threatens the relationship between the United States and Israel in ways that would harm American interests, risk Israel’s security and make it less likely that a two-state solution. “
Meanwhile, a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the Israeli leader’s plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank would not start on Wednesday, the original target date, as the British Prime Minister made an extraordinary appeal to Israel to suspend the plan. . .
Events create even more uncertainty about whether Israel will finally go ahead with the explosive annexation initiative, which has generated fierce international condemnation from some of Israel’s closest allies.
Palestinians demonstrate against Israeli plans for the annexation of parts of the West Bank, in Gaza City, on Wednesday July 1, 2020. (AP Photo / Khalil Hamra)
Speaking on the Israel Army radio station, Cabinet Minister Ofir Akunis confirmed that the annexation process would not begin on Wednesday, saying that officials were still working on final details with their American counterparts. He said he expected the annexation to take place later in July.
“Coordination with the US administration is not something that can be ruled out,” he said.
ISRAEL CLOSES CHRISTIAN TV STATION IN RARE MOVEMENT
Netanyahu was aiming to start the process on Wednesday, saying he wants to start annexing the West Bank territory in line with President Donald Trump’s Middle East plan.
The Prime Minister’s Office released a statement saying Netanyahu held talks on Wednesday with US diplomats and Israeli defense officials on the issue of annexation, and that “further discussions will be held in the coming days.”
The plan, released in January, plans to place around 30 percent of the territory under permanent Israeli control, while giving Palestinians limited autonomy in the divided pockets of the remaining land.
But the plan has come under heavy international criticism. The United Nations, the European Union and major Arab countries have said that Israel’s annexation would violate international law and undermine the already diminished prospects of establishing a viable independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. Even close allies, such as Britain, have opposed it.
In a front-page article in the Yediot Ahronot newspaper, one of Israel’s largest newspapers, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote that as a “passionate defender of Israel”, he was particularly concerned about his intentions. He noted his long ties to Israel, dating back to when he volunteered at a kibbutz when he was 18 and his “many visits” since then.
A Palestinian woman shows the sign of victory as she protests against Israeli plans for the annexation of parts of the West Bank in Gaza City on Wednesday July 1, 2020. (AP Photo / Khalil Hamra)
“As a lifelong friend, admirer and supporter of Israel, I fear that these proposals will fail in their goal of securing Israel’s borders and run counter to Israel’s own long-term interests,” wrote Johnson, adding that the Annexation “would jeopardize” the achievements that Israel has made in recent years in improving relations with the Arab world.
“I deeply hope that annexation will not go ahead. If it does, the United Kingdom will not recognize any changes to the 1967 lines, except those agreed between both parties, “he said.
Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Middle East war. The international community considers the territory to occupy land, and Israel’s more than 120 settlements there are illegal. Palestinians, who seek the entire West Bank as part of a future state, have rejected Trump’s plan.
Several thousand Palestinians marched in Gaza City for a “day of anger” on Wednesday to protest the annexation plans, one of several protests expected in the Palestinian areas. Protesters waved Palestinian flags and held signs calling the plan a “declaration of war” against the Palestinian people. The rally ended peacefully in the early afternoon.
While building dozens of settlements that now house nearly 500,000 Israelis, Israel has never attempted to annex West Bank territory before, saying the area is “in dispute” and that its final status must be resolved through negotiations. The international community considers the occupied area and its settlements to be illegal.
Palestinian Muslim clerics attend a demonstration against Israeli plans for the annexation of parts of the West Bank, in Gaza City, on Wednesday July 1, 2020. (AP Photo / Khalil Hamra)
Netanyahu has defended his annexation plan for both security and religious reasons, and says the friendly Trump administration has provided a rare opportunity to redraw Israel’s borders. He is eager to move ahead of the US presidential election in November, especially with Trump’s reelection prospects in question, and ensured that the coalition deal for his new government included the July 1 date for him to come up with a plan. to parliament.
But beyond international opposition, Netanyahu has encountered some resistance from his blue and white ruling partners. Blue and White leader Defense Minister Benny Gantz said this week that Wednesday’s target date was not “sacred” and suggested that annexation can wait as the government deals with Israel’s coronavirus crisis.
US officials have said they do not want to move forward with a plan unless the two leaders agree. The Israeli media also reported that Israel is seeking changes to a proposed map of the United States for annexation, and that US officials are demanding an Israeli gesture from the Palestinians as compensation for any annexation taking place.
Moderate Israeli groups have been carrying out street protests against the annexation plan and have also met surprising opposition from some of the West Bank settlers, who fear having to recognize a de facto Palestinian state and be involved in isolated enclaves.
Most of them, however, are pressuring Netanyahu to move on, launching a campaign titled: “You made a promise, keep it.”
Associated Press contributed to this report.
