Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz shared with journalists on Tuesday his views on what things are likely to look like in the next few weeks, as the time draws closer to the July 1 date on which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to extend sovereignty to Israel’s Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
Gantz told reporters that either way, Israel will face security consequences whether or not the government moves ahead to extend sovereignty to Jewish communities in the territories. Gantz clearly has mixed feelings about the issue.
“We won’t take Palestinians into our territory, we won’t harm human rights or the right of movement; we’ll work in coordination with regional countries and we’re in contact with them, we won’t endanger the peace agreements,” he said Tuesday at the briefing.
However, Gantz also said there’s a limit to his patience as well; even he can see a time when enough will be enough and it will be time to move on.
“We won’t continue to wait for the Palestinians. If they say ‘no’ forever to everything then we’ll be forced to move ahead without them,” he said.
The Palestinian Authority can be involved as much as they choose, Gantz pointed out. Israel has to take the views of Washington and the international community into consideration, he said.
“We need to not only manage the conflict but also to shape it, Gantz explained. “We will work to reduce as much as possible the danger of turning the State of Israel into a binational state, while make sure that Israel remains in control of its security.”
The United Nations Security Council is slated to meet Wednesday to discuss the issue of Israeli sovereignty in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.
Among those expected to attend are Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.
US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman was in Washington DC on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Trump peace team at the White House to discuss the issue as well. Among those attending were special senior presidential adviser Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz.