Danger: Don’t think that Trump will save Israel if Israel tries to commit political suicide.

The right wing settlers movement in Israel is feeling emboldened by the first appointments made by Trump. They think that they have already been given license to annex the West Bank, to confiscate more Palestinian land, to build more settlements, to demolish more Palestinian homes, to remove Palestinian communities, to force Palestinians to leave, and more.

These people and their actions are strategic threats to the State of Israel. Annexation of even parts of the West Bank will lead to (at the minimum) the freezing of peace treaties with Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco.

If this happens, forget about normalization with Saudi Arabia. The same threats to Israel exist if there is an attempt to build Israeli settlements in Gaza or in Lebanon. Don’t think that Trump will save Israel if Israel tries to commit political suicide.

Categories: Insights

Gershon Baskin

Gershon Baskin is one of the most recognizable names in the Middle East Peace process. He is a political and social entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to peace between Israel and its neighbors. His dedication to creating a culture of peace and environmental awareness, coupled with his impeccable integrity, has earned him the trust of the leaders of all sides of the century old conflict. Few people have such far-reaching and positive impacts on promoting peace, security, prosperity and bi-national relationships. Gershon is an advisor to Israeli, Palestinian and International Prime Ministers on the Middle East Peace Process and the founder and director of IPCRI, the Israeli-Palestinian Public Policy Institute. He was the initiator and negotiator of the secret back channel between Israel and Hamas for the release of 1,027 prisoners – mainly Palestinians and Arab-Israelis of which 280 were sentenced to life in prison, including Yahya Sinwar, the current Palestinian leader of the Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The prisoners were imprisoned for planning and perpetrating various attacks against Jewish targets that resulted in the killing of 569 Israelis in exchange for one Israeli soldier, Gilad Schalit. Gershon is actively involved in research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, environmental security, political strategy, peace education, economics, culture and in the development of affordable solar projects with the goal of providing clean electricity for 50 million people by 2020. He is a founding member of Kol Ezraheiha-Kol Muwanteneiha (All of the Citizens) political party in Israel. He is now directing The Holy Land Bond and is the Middle East Director for ICO – International Communities Organization - a UK based NGO working in conflict zones with failed peace processes.