Israel’s former highly-regarded Justice Minister, Yossi Beilin, has said Prime Minister Netanyahu’s recently revealed post-war plan for Gaza and the West Bank is “a joke” and it’s “not serious”. Yossi Beilin says it’s “a non-issue in Israel”, adding that it’s not even a plan but just principles which, in actual fact, simply sum up Netanyahu’s earlier speeches.
In a 30-minute interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Beilin says the plan has been buried “on pages 7, 8 and 9” of the Israeli newspapers.
Beilin says Netanyahu is influenced by and dependent on the political support of men like Finance Minister Smotrich and National Security Minister Ben-Gvir, who he describes as “very very dangerous … first and foremost for Israel itself.”
Beilin says Israel should be very concerned by the immediate negative response to Netanyahu’s plan from the Biden Administration. Secretary of State Blinken has said he’s “disappointed”.
Unlike Netanyahu, Beilin makes clear that a two-state solution is the only solution but, he adds, Hamas cannot be part of it. Gaza will have to be ruled by the Palestine Authority, with whom Israel has an agreement and understanding, even though the Authority may not be ready to take up this responsibility at the moment.
I am only giving you the big broad headline points made by Beilin. I think you should hear this interview for yourself. Beilin speaks for many people in Israel when he expresses his opinion of and concern with the Netanyahu plan.
