Virtual Panel discussion on possible annexation in the West Bank- 21st April 2020
On 21st April a virtual panel discussion was held on the topic of the possibility of annexation in the West Bank, with a number of European parliamentarians, foreign affairs departments, diplomats, donors and supporters.Forward Thinking convened the discussion with Eran Etzion Former Diplomat and Strategist; Hilik Bar, Former Deputy Knesset Speaker, Labour MK and General Secretary; and Rabbi Shem Tov, Former Deputy Mayor of Eldad and Chairman of the Rabbis’ Committee for Inter-Religious Dialogue.Since the Trump Peace Plan was announced in January 2020 there has been increasing signs by political leaders in Israel towards some form of annexation.The panel discussion took place following a signed agreement between Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new coalition. The signing ended more than a year of political paralysis, the agreement was mostly a technical document determining the power sharing arrangements between Likud and Blue and White, it highlighted just two specific priorities the new government would lead on in its first 6 months, which were to respond to the Coronavirus crisis and annexation.During the discussion panellists presented their views on if, when and how annexation will take place and what the potential international and Palestinian response could be. The panel members considered that there was a need to help create further space for meaningful discussions on annexation if it were to occur.