PM Netanyahu is still pushing annexation, so we must continue to push against it
Dear Friends,
Alongside many Jewish organizations across the political spectrum, the New York Jewish Agenda commends the opening of formal diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. It is a historic development that we hope leads to further collaboration between Israel and its neighbors.
At the same time, however, we reject Prime Minister Netanyahu’s declaration of a “delay” in his unilateral annexation plans. PM Netanyahu made clear today that he still intends to follow through on his pledge to annex the Jordan Valley as soon as it is politically viable for him. In response, we reaffirm our demand for the full cancellation of all plans to unilaterally annex territory in the West Bank, as it is clear that annexation would sabotage the possibility of a just, negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
We know a wide majority of New York Jews are firmly opposed to annexation, and we want to use this opportunity to prove it to the wider New York community. If you haven’t already, we invite you to join over 100 individuals and organizations in signing our “New Yorkers Against Annexation statement” by clicking here (or here for organizations). Let’s take this opportunity to educate our fellow New Yorkers and elected officials about where the mainstream Jewish community stands on this critical issue.
We firmly believe that a negotiated two-state solution is the only path to peace for Israelis and Palestinians, and any talk of annexation, even delayed, must be challenged. While we applaud the potential for increased peace and stability with the wider Arab world represented by Israel’s agreement with the UAE, we refuse to be distracted from the equally critical goal of securing a lasting peace with the Palestinian people.
Matt Nosanchuk is co-founder and President of the New York Jewish Agenda.
