Overnight in Israel, the American State Department summoned Israel's ambassador to the US, Michael Herzog, for an unusual conversation, due to the changes in the 2005 Disengagement Law that will allow Israelis to once again reside in Northern Samaria. The law, which has been presented to the Knesset seven times throughout the years and has bipartisan support, was viewed as a tactical mistake by an Israeli government on the heels of the second Intifada.
The US Deputy Secretary of State, Wendy Sherman, expressed her concern about the repeal of the law and clarified: "Actions that could increase tensions for the upcoming holidays should be avoided." This is the first summoning of an Israeli ambassador to the United States for a conversation in 13 years. Last time, in 2010, the then ambassador Michael Oren was summoned to a conversation at the State Department following the announcement of a construction permit in the Jewish Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of East Jerusalem which was announced during the visit to the country of the then vice president of the United States, now president Biden.
🚨🇮🇱🇺🇸Sleepy Joe summons Israel's ambassador in protest against the law that would allow Jews to stay in their own lands!
— Terror Alarm (@Terror_Alarm) March 22, 2023
In response we should:
Deport the US ambassador from Israel.
Investigate Us interference in Israeli elections.
Investigate Human Rights violations in the US. pic.twitter.com/ULj2yOLk20
State Department spokesperson, Vedant Patel said: “We have been clear that advancing settlements is an obstacle to peace and the achievement of a two-state solution. This certainly includes creating new settlements, building or legalizing outposts, or allowing the building of any kind on private Palestinian land located deep in the West Bank or adjacent to Palestinian communities, all of which would be facilitated by this legal change,”
It was also stated in the announcement that the US urges Israel to refrain from allowing Israelis who were forced to evacuate their communities to return to their homes. The statement claims that the repeal violates the commitments made by the former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, as well as members of the current government to the United States. “Coming at a time of heightened tensions, the legislative changes announced today are particularly provocative and counterproductive to efforts to restore some measure of calm as we head into Ramadan, Passover, and the Easter holidays.” Benjamin Netanyahu was Finance Minister at the time and had voted for the initial Disengagement legislation.
Readout says expressed Biden admin's concern over Knesset vote allowing resettlement of northern West Bank by Israel & "importance of all parties refraining from actions or rhetoric that could further inflame tensions" -- ostensibly a reference to Smotrich https://t.co/mduaThPLIz
— Jacob Magid (@JacobMagid) March 22, 2023
The Palestinian Authority also protested the cancellation of the disengagement law. Nabil Abu Rudina, said last night that "the Israeli Knesset's approval of the law, which allows a return to four settlements in the West Bank, violates all legitimate international resolutions, especially Resolution 2334, which considers all settlements illegal, in all Palestinian territories." Rudina did not mention that the Palestinian Authority has violated the Oslo Accords on numerous occassions.
At the same time, Hamas used to oportunity to reinforce their call for the Palestinian Authority to stop security coordination with Israel: "We condemn the approval of the occupation to return the settlers to evacuated settlements, and call on the Palestinian Authority to stop the security coordination with the occupation, and stand against it on the side of our people's revolution."
