What began as a good week for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended in his indictment for corruption. It is the first time that a sitting Israeli PM has been indicted.
Early in the week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that America would no longer agree to the 2016 UN Security Council resolution (No. 2334) that said the Israeli settlements in the West Bank area were a flagrant violation of international law. That determination was utter nonsense. With the exception of the Geneva Conventions on the law of war, “international law” — especially as the UN uses that term — is nothing but politics. There’s no law involved, international or otherwise.
The effects of Pompeo’s announcement are highly significant. Netanyahu has said he wanted to annex parts of the West Bank — Judea and Samaria — in which settlements are already a part of the landscape. The announcement strengthened Netanyahu’s hand in any negotiations with the Palestinians. It also indicated that President Trump believes that the long-awaited peace deal between the Israelis and Palestinians — brokered by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner — is no longer viable.
Pompeo’s announcement was right on all counts. But then came the indictment.
The investigation by Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit has been going on for about three years. Netanyahu, recalling the words of President Trump, had called the investigation by a “witch hunt.” Though the case against Netanyahu is vastly different than the risible House impeachment proceedings against Trump, the “witch hunt” characterization seems to be right on the money.
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See Also:
(1) The Bibi Indictment: Really, Just a Shame How Some Israelis Consume The Best of Their Own
