Baku, Azerbaijan, March 4
By Azer Ahmadbayli – Trend:
The day Israel's Attorney General announced the indictment against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the US President Donald Trump flattered him, appreciating his contribution to Israel's development: "I can say that he has done a great job as Prime Minister," he said.
Trump’s words were very much like farewell.
At first glance, Trump's peace plan is obviously not feasible - the gap between the positions of Palestinians and Israel is too wide.
Trump's plan has been rejected in advance by Fatah leaders, who continue to condemn it as a "conspiracy to eliminate the Palestinian cause and rights."
President of Palestinian authority Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly called it the "slap of the century." Abbas has said several times that he does not intend to end his life as a traitor, referring to the adoption of the American plan.
Others say the conflict with Israel will end only when Israel is destroyed. "We will not give an inch of Palestinian land," Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said. In short, Hamas rejects the existence of Israel altogether.
And here is the position of the large part of Israelis, expressed by the coordinator of the Association "Israel – forever" Nili Nauri: "Judea and Samaria - is something more than any Jewish territory, which should remain under Israeli sovereignty in every sense… We can't even think that there might be an enemy nest in our country. We must say it loudly and clearly that there is only room for one flag between Jordan and the sea – the flag of Israel!”
"He, who does not recognize the state of Israel – he must leave with a small amount of money in his pockets. This applies to those who want to leave the Gaza strip, Judea and Samaria, and those who want to create another Arab state on our territory. The IDF will have to fight it with all the necessary determination.”
All these comments are enough to understand the attitude of both sides. Then why do Kushner and his team keep flogging the seemingly dead horse? Is there still any chance?
It would seem that the position of the Palestinians is more irreconcilable, but in fact, all they can settle for is rhetoric, because in practice it is Israel that controls the whole process throughout the entire territory. So, for the implementation of the peace plan, it is necessary, first of all, to move the Israeli leadership to a compromise.
Netanyahu has many times proved that within his premiership one should not expect any concessions, even rational ones. It is neither bad nor good, it is just his position. But at the same time, it means that his position is a hindrance to the “deal of the century”. So, the decision has to be made by someone else.
Washington intends to remove everything or anyone out of its way, who hinders the implementation of the plan, even if it is "old Bibi" - a long and reliable friend of the Americans. Forces in Israel that can demonstrate a more flexible position in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict should come to power.
Unknowingly, Israeli education Minister Naftali Bennet voiced the Americans' plan: "the elections will decide whether it will be the right-wingers or Palestine, and only a strong right-wing party will stop the process of creating a Palestinian state in Eretz Israel."
Previously, Washington had doubts about the issue, but now it does not – it chooses Palestine.
The majority in the Knesset should contain those who will support the Trump’s plan, that is, not the right-wingers.
The mechanism of removal of the uncompromising Prime Minister from power has been launched.
Last week, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced its decision to indict Netanyahu for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in three separate cases pending a hearing.
Condemnation of Netanyahu by AIPAC due to Likud’s alliance with the ultra-right is not in the Prime Minister’s favor too.
Finally, the US senators went on the attack. Elizabeth Warren attacked Benjamin Netanyahu on February 28, twitting that he was first obsessed with right-wing extremism, and now there is manipulation of the free press and taking bribes. She also wrote that the accusations against Prime Minister Netanyahu are serious and they threaten democracy.
The stakes are very high, and each word has a certain implication.
One example: the rigid position of the right that Judea and Samaria are an integral part of the territory of Israel is well-known.
However, Kushner indirectly confirmed in his comments that Judea and Samaria are the future territory of the state of Palestine, although it would seem that he spoke about ending the differences between the PA administration and Hamas: "Washington would like to see Judea, Samaria and the Gaza strip under the control of one power structure, not two."
As for the Arabs, the main role in the issue will belong to Egypt, the Gulf countries and partially Jordan. As cynical as it may sound, the well-being of these countries depends largely, if not decisively, on the United States. Egyptian Al-Sisi, King Abdella of Jordan or Prince Mohammed bin Salman do not want to lose power. If five or six Arab countries simultaneously declare recognition of the state of Israel, the process of "normalization with the Zionist enemy" will become irreversible.
Then there will remain one common enemy - Iran.