Arab Center Washington D.C. held a briefing on the implications of Israel’s recent re-election of Benjamin Netanyahu. Among the guest speakers was Phyllis Bennis, director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies.
While some fear Netanyahu’s victory spells doom for the possibility of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, or changes U.S. bipartisan support for Israel, Bennis argues this is not the case. Why? Because those realities existed long before this election. Bennis also discussed the “gifts” Donald Trump gave Netanyahu, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, recognizing Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and cutting aid to UNRWA, among others.
All of this is troubling, said Bennis. And although there has been opposition to the Trump Administration’s staunch support of Netanyahu’s government, the policies may have shifted so far to the right that it will be extremely difficult for any future president or Congress to reverse them.