Joe Walsh Israeli resolution "support for Israel’s right to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank" being prepared

From Will at The Other News:

Tea party firebrand Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) plans to introduce a provocative measure in the House expressing congressional support for Israel’s right to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank as the Palestinians move forward with a controversial request for a declaration of statehood at the United Nations.

The resolution, which is modeled closely on a bill introduced in the Israeli Knesset, is the latest effort by Congress ahead of the proposed vote. Lawmakers from both parties returned from stints in Israel last month warning that Congress could seek to cut Palestinian aid if the vote goes forward.

The resolution, which is modeled closely on a bill introduced in the Israeli Knesset, is the latest effort by Congress ahead of the proposed vote. Lawmakers from both parties returned from stints in Israel last month warning that Congress could seek to cut Palestinian aid if the vote goes forward.

“We’ve got what I consider to be a potential slap in the face coming up with the vote in the U.N., which is absolutely outrageous,” Walsh told POLITICO. “It’s clear that the United States needs to make a very strong statement. I would argue that the president should make this statement, but he’s not capable of making it. So, the House needs to make this statement, if the [Palestinian Authority] continues down this road of trying to get recognition of statehood, the U.S. will not stand for it. And we will respect Israel’s right to annex Judea and Samaria.”

 President Barack Obama has threatened a U.S. veto of any statehood declaration at the U.N. Security Council. But that hasn’t stopped lawmakers in both countries from threatening the consequences of a declaration.Walsh is moving forward with his resolution after meeting last month in Israel with Danny Danon, a deputy speaker of the Knesset and Likud Party member known for criticizing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu from the right.

Earlier this year, Danon introduced a bill that would annex all of “Area C,” a large portion of the West Bank that includes Jewish settlements and rural lands but would spare the largest Palestinian cities. Danon’s now leading a campaign to pressure Netanyahu to move forward with the unilateral annexation.Walsh, who said he’d been considering a similar measure before arriving in Israel in August, confirmed that he and Danon “bounced some ideas off each other” on the resolution. 

Danon argued in a New York Times op-ed earlier this year that a request from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for a U.N. statehood declaration would amount to a nullification of the Oslo Accords, which dictate that “neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations.” That means the country would be free to annex unilaterally, he wrote.

In the op-ed, Danon downplayed the potential international consequences by pointing to past Israeli annexations as evidence the country could withstand international condemnation.

“This is perfect timing for us and the right decision for us, not just from ideological perspective but security perspective as well,” said Jonny Daniels, a senior adviser to Danon, who said he also worked with conservative commentator Glenn Beck when he was in the country last month for his pro-Israel “Restoring Courage” rallies.Walsh says he plans to spend the rest of the week gathering cosponsors.

Read the full story here.