The monthslong saga about whether Israel would unilaterally annex portions of the West Bank seems to be ending with a whimper. Israelis, far more focused on their struggle to control the coronavirus and deal with the staggering 21 percent unemployment rate it fueled, largely ignore the issue. One poll recorded only 4 percent of Israelis who rated annexation as their priority for government action.
Those who oppose annexation as a terrible blow to prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to Israel’s Jewish and democratic character, and to the bipartisan U.S. support for Israel might consider exhaling. A catastrophe has been seemingly avoided, even as other huge challenges in the Israeli-Palestinian arena remain.
