Sign in Subscribe
Netanyahu, Benjamin

The Annexation of the West Bank: A "Good Cop, Bad Cop" Scenario

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A recent vote in Israel's Knesset on bills to annex parts of the West Bank has sparked international concern. While Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former US President Donald Trump, downplay the move, settlement expansion continues aggressively, threatening the fragile Gaza ceasefire and the two-state solution. The far-right politicians pushing for annexation, such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, are in reality being managed by Netanyahu and Trump, who present themselves as restraining annexation to appease international opinion and Arab states.

Key Takeaways:

  • Israeli settlements continue to expand aggressively across the West Bank, with thousands of new homes approved in the sensitive E1 area near Jerusalem (al-Quds), threatening to bisect the West Bank and make a future Palestinian state impossible.
  • Over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the Gaza war began in October 2023, and thousands more displaced.
  • The far-right politicians, like Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, act as the "bad cops," pushing annexation and creating pressure on the government to show restraint, while Netanyahu and Trump act as the "good cops," presenting themselves as restraining annexation.
  • The two-state solution continues to erode as territories are fragmented, and Palestinian rights are increasingly ignored.
  • The Gaza situation adds another layer to the conflict, with Trump and other US officials pushing for reconstruction and stabilization plans, while annexation threatens to undermine US narratives of progress in the region.
  • Annexation is advancing, but the public narrative misleads the world about who is driving it, with Netanyahu, Trump, and the far-right all pursuing the same ultimate goal of consolidating control over the West Bank.

Statistics:

  • Over 90% of buildings in Gaza were damaged or destroyed during the war (UN).
  • More than 15,000 patients still await medical treatment outside Gaza.
  • Over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the Gaza war began in October 2023.

Sources:

  • "The annexation of the West Bank is a strategic performance designed to maintain US support, manage domestic coalitions, and keep the world focused on the wrong actors." (Tehran Times)
  • "Over 90% of buildings in Gaza were damaged or destroyed during the war, said the UN." (Tehran Times)
  • "More than 15,000 patients still await medical treatment outside Gaza." (Tehran Times)
  • "Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, are in reality being managed by Netanyahu and Trump." (Tehran Times)
  • "The far-right politicians, like Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, act as the 'bad cops,' pushing annexation and creating pressure on the government to show restraint, while Netanyahu and Trump act as the 'good cops,' presenting themselves as restraining annexation." (Tehran Times)

Read more