Israeli Minister Says Trump Victory Presents Israel 'Opportunity' To Annex West Bank

 

Israeli Minister Says Trump Victory Presents Israel 'Opportunity' To Annex West Bank

Some Israeli hardliners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government see the incoming Trump administration as a representing a big opportunity to annex more territory in the West Bank.

"The year 2025 will be, with God’s help, the year of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria," Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, using the biblical name for the West Bank. This region is home to some three million Palestinians who have long aspired to establishing a State of Palestine.

He continued in the Monday remarks by saying "no doubt that President Trump, who showed courage and determination in his decisions in the first term, will support the State of Israel in this move." — ZeroHedge

And …

Trump Israel ambassador pick Mike Huckabee is longtime ally of settlers

President-elect Donald Trump announced he will nominate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Why it matters: Huckabee has a close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has also repeatedly expressed support for Jewish settlers and has backed the idea of Israel annexing parts of the occupied West Bank.

Israel already has its most pro-settler government in history, and some on the Israeli right now hope Trump's second administration will be the most pro-settler ever in the U.S.

What they're saying: "Mike Huckabee loves Israel and the people of Israel... he will work tirelessly to bring about peace in the Middle East," Trump said in a statement.

In 2015, Huckabee said Israel has a stronger historical connection to the West Bank than the U.S. has to Manhattan.

In 2019, Huckabee said that he personally believed Israel had the right to annex parts of the West Bank.

During his 2008 presidential run, Huckabee said "there's really no such thing as a Palestinian" and argued that land for a future Palestinian state should be taken from other Arab states, not Israel.

Flashback: Netanyahu considered announcing the annexation of parts of the West Bank late in Trump's first term, but could not fully align with Trump's team on that issue. — Axios

Our Take: I like Mike Huckabee—he seems like a genuinely nice guy.

But when I see these two headlines together, my spidey sense start to tingle.

That's because Huckabee has said some pretty provocative things when it comes to Palestine, namely that that there is no such thing as Palestine and it effectively doesn't have a right to exist. He has also said that land should be annexed from the neighboring Arab countries to create a new Palestian homeland, but hasn't specified which one.

Now, whether you agree with Huckabee's perspective is totally separate from the fact that there is currently a major geopolitical crisis unfolding in the Middle East, with Palestine at the epicenter. Emotions are high, passions are inflamed, and countries around the world (including superpowers like China, Russia, and Iran) are rallying around Palestine and the Arabs to oppose Israel's aggressive disposition.

And President Trump—who is beyond brilliant—chooses this moment to appoint Mike Huckabee as the Ambassador to Israel?

This situation reeks of the commentary Trump has made about using ["that moron"] John Bolton as a prop to scare the crap out of the countries with whom he was negotiating.

Given Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's sentiments that they need to press on, full speed ahead with the Settlements in the West Bank, could it be that Trump is baiting these Kahanists into making a serious [self-destructive] mistake?

Listen to what Trump said about the Settlements in 2021 to Barak Ravid—the Israeli journalist who wrote the article linked above.

Man, sure does seem like something is afoot. Trump is playing this one pretty close to the chest, it seems. — GhostofBasedPatrickHenry