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Right-wing Israeli politicians see Donald Trump’s election as helpful toward their goal of burying the prospect of a Palestinian state. On Wednesday, Israeli lawmakers gave preliminary approval to a bill that would retroactively legalize settlements built on private Palestinian land in the West Bank. The bill is intended to prevent the court-ordered demolition of an illegal outpost by Dec. 25.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes the bill and Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit has said it violates international law. Still, the fact that it cleared a major hurdle represents an alarming gain for pro-settlement Israelis.
Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who heads the Jewish Home party, the most ardent supporter of settlements, proclaimed that “the era of the Palestinian state is over.” This is at odds with the Israeli government’s official position, which holds out hope for a two-state solution — an outcome Washington has sought to broker for decades.
On Wednesday, Israel’s defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said that the government should strike a deal with the Trump administration to authorize expanded construction in the major West Bank settlements. Any move in that direction would be misguided and dangerous for the United States.
“One of the most effective ways that ISIS and other terrorist groups have attracted recruits is by tarring the United States with Israel’s expanding occupation of the West Bank,” Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont said in a statement. “This legislation to retroactively legalize illegal settlements will be welcomed by those murderous groups as further evidence that America’s closest ally in the region is bent on destroying a peaceful solution, including the possibility of a Palestinian state.”
Pro-settlement Israelis were particularly heartened by an interview Jason Greenblatt, a foreign policy adviser to Mr. Trump, gave to Israel’s Army Radio after the election, in which he said Mr. Trump did not view the settlements as “an obstacle for peace.”
Mr. Trump’s personal views on the settlements are unclear. He recently told The Wall Street Journal that he aspired to broker the “ultimate deal,” to bring an end to the conflict between Israel and Palestinians, “for humanity’s sake.” If that is indeed his aspiration, he should immediately signal to the Israelis — not to mention his advisers — that he will need time and consultation to develop a coherent policy on the region. Absent such a signal, the right wing in Israel will be further encouraged to forge ahead with a new and dangerous expansion of settlements.
