Boris Johnson and Benjamin Netanyahu have spoken on the telephone to discuss a range of issues including Covid-19 and the Trump peace proposal.
According to KAN news, the British PM expressed concerns about the annexation plan and urged Netanyahu to return to negotiations with the Palestinians. Johnson is understand to have warned that annexation could push back the chances for peace.
Netanyahu told Johnson that Israel is ready to hold negotiations on the basis of the Trump administration’s peace plan, “which is a creative and realistic plan and doesn’t copy the failed formulas of the past,” according to a release by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Johnson and Netanyahu agreed to strengthen relations between the two countries in all fields, especially in increasing cooperation concerning the coronavirus outbreak.
In an article in the Yediot Aharonot newspaper last week, Johnson called upon the Israeli government not to apply sovereignty over parts of Judea and Samaria and to instead return to the negotiating table.
“There is another way,” urged Johnson in the article, pushing for the renewal of peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis. “I followed with great sadness the proposals for annexing Palestinian territory. As a friend, admirer and supporter of Israel for many years, I fear that these proposals won’t achieve their goal of securing Israel’s borders, and will even be against [Israel’s] long term interests.”
See also: Israel’s legal case for Judea and Samaria
Writing in an op-ed in June, CUFI Founder, Pastor John Hagee said, “From a Biblical, historical and legal perspective, Israel owns, and does not occupy, the Holy Land. And one cannot be an occupier on land it owns. Nevertheless, an all or nothing approach – as the Palestinian leadership insists upon – often results in getting nothing at all.
“It is therefore unsurprising that since its founding, Israel has repeatedly offered to make painful compromises in pursuit of peace with its neighbors to no avail. With all of this in mind, CUFI and its more than eight million members, supported and continues to support the Trump Peace Proposal in its entirety. This includes Israel’s exercising its sovereignty over portions of Judea and Samaria and once again offering the Palestinians an opportunity to have a prosperous and independent existence.”
“For any side in the Arab-Israeli conflict, perfect is the enemy of good. Pragmatism must reign, and the Trump plan is the most realistic effort ever offered by an American administration to end hostilities in the region.
“It is now up to the Palestinians to make a decision. They are unquestionably the masters of their own destiny. Haaretz editor-in-chief Aluf Benn was right when he wrote that to delay a unilateral Israeli move, “All [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] needs to do is call, text or email the White House to request a meeting with President Donald Trump at which he announces his willingness to resume peace talks with Israel on the basis of the ‘deal of the century.’”
“Israel cannot be expected to acquiesce to the demands of a Palestinian leader who refuses to talk about peace but has no problem talking about the supposed evils of the Jewish state. Likewise, Israel’s Middle Eastern neighbors should focus less on making threats and more on offering solutions.”
Related Articles:
