Author: Ben Hubbard / Source: New York Times
Majdi Mohammed/Associated Press
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on Wednesday to be on his way to a fifth term as prime minister of Israel, solidifying the sense across the Arab world that the dream of a Palestinian state is more remote than ever — as is the chance that the United States will help create it.
Throughout his campaign, Mr. Netanyahu appealed to right-wing voters by making promises to them about issues long expected to be negotiated with Israel’s Arab neighbors.
And through his close relationship with the Trump administration, he pushed for the United States to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Days before the election, he suggested he would annex at least some of the West Bank if he won.
The strategy helped ensure his grip on power.
“It closes all doors for any possible peace settlement and any chance for the Palestinians to have a state of their own,” said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a political scientist from the United Arab Emirates. While that would cause frustration among the Arabs, there was little they could do about it, he said.
“The Arabs are at their weakest. The Palestinians are divided like never before. Israel is stronger than ever and Trump backs it, so Israel can do whatever it wants,” he said.
For decades, support for the creation of a Palestinian state was a rare issue met with consensus across the Arab world. Israeli leaders faced limits on the kinds of unilateral actions they could take for fear of causing pushback from the Arabs or from the United States and other Western countries.
But that dynamic has faded as the peace process stalled for years and as the Palestinians remain divided among themselves, with different factions in charge of the West Bank and Gaza.
The Arab Spring uprisings and their violent aftermath left many Arab leaders more focused on staying in power than on standing up for the Palestinians. And Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have quietly warmed up to Israel, seeing it as a valuable partner in confronting their common enemy — Iran.
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