There is no written deal between the Yamina party and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There wasn’t even a handshake. But as the Sept. 17 elections approach and embarrassing information from the police investigations into the prime minister’s numerous scandals are leaked to the press, everything seems to be getting clearer. It is out in the open now. Netanyahu is promising the settlers “sovereignty,” meaning full annexation of West Bank territories, and the settlers’ representatives — Yamina leaders Ayelet Shaked, Naftali Bennett and others — admit that they will grant him immunity from criminal proceedings in exchange.
It doesn’t matter how much Netanyahu and his family mock and insult Shaked and Bennett. It won’t matter how much they hunt for and release embarrassing materials about them and their families. Bennett and Shaked are promising their voters their very own deal of the century: immunity for Netanyahu in exchange for sovereignty for the settlers.
On Sept. 1, Netanyahu decided to start the new school year in the settlement of Elkana in the West Bank. While there, he had little to say about the educational system. He did, however, have quite a bit to say about annexation, declaring, “With God’s help we will apply Jewish sovereignty over all communities as part of the land of Israel and the State of Israel …” He added, “We will not uproot anyone here.”
With this broad statement, Netanyahu took one more step toward promising the settlers annexation. In a television interview just three days before the last elections on April 6, Netanyahu responded to a question about the annexation of the Gush Etzion bloc of settlements, saying that West Bank annexation will be gradual. “Yes, we will move slowly and in stages to the next step of imposing Israeli sovereignty over the territories of Judea and Samaria.” As for the smaller settlements, some of them actually illegal outposts, he explained, “I don’t distinguish between settlement blocs and isolated little settlements. Each spot with a settlement on it is a part of Israel as far as I am concerned. We are responsible for them, and I will not transfer them to the Palestinians.” At the time, he did not mention full annexation.
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