Annexation sounds great until you get into the details - opinion

In Caroline Glick’s estimation, Israel’s suffering over the past year has earned it the right to annex the territories known as Judea and Samaria and officially make the area part of Greater Israel. 

The former weekly Jerusalem Post columnist reasons, in her YouTube shorts, that this is a matter of respect and recognition of the heavy price we’ve paid through the loss of so many of our men, women, and children. 

And who could argue with her? Israel’s sovereignty of this land, despite it being biblically foretold as part of God’s inheritance to the Jewish people, remains undeclared, likely due to the political groundswell of rage that would ensue by so many who already look upon us as interlopers who displaced the original population.

But, along with others, Glick probably sees the incoming Trump administration as the most favorable and supportive collection of individuals who not only are committed to the idea of a united Israel but are personally connected to, and invested in, the land by way of their own personal faith.

Take former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who has been nominated for the post of US ambassador to Israel. He would describe himself as a passionate Evangelical Christian Zionist. Having traveled to Israel repeatedly since 1973, he aspires to “one day own a holiday home in the Judean Hills town of Efrat.”

Huckabee uses the term Judea and Samaria for the territories, as opposed to the West Bank, a label that minimizes Israel’s intrinsic connection to the land of Israel. 

He is not the only one who possesses such strong convictions. Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary nominee, would probably back him up, given his own deep Christian Zionist commitment. As a frequent guest to the land of the Bible, he also filmed the 2023 investigative series called Battle in the Holy Land, which was aired on the Fox network. 

So, given that the most supportive US administration in the history of the modern State of Israel is about to enter the picture, why not go for the brass ring of annexation?

What about the Palestinian civilians?

FOR STARTERS, what happens to the estimated two million Palestinians who live in those areas as well as in east Jerusalem, many of whom would present a violently hostile threat to the Jewish population within Israel? 

Do they suddenly become citizens with full voting rights? How would that work out, given their much higher birth rate in comparison to their Jewish counterparts? Wouldn’t they become the majority voice within a reasonably short period? How would that significantly alter the balance of power in the world’s only Jewish country?

Annexation sounds great until you get into the details. Then things get a bit complicated – especially given the anti-Israel climate that already exists, in which Jews are blamed for having instigated the barbaric attack, perpetrated on them on October 7, 2023, as a result of their having had the “chutzpah” to declare themselves a nation in 1948. It’s the proverbial story of deserving rape for having dressed provocatively. 

There would surely be repercussions if Israel boldly declares that the territories are officially recognized as Israeli land. This would come at a time when there is already a fever-pitch hatred against us throughout much of the world. Israel would have to be willing and ready to take on the visceral reaction that would come at her.

Should such a predictable reaction be the reason to abandon the long-awaited aspirational dream? That depends. 

If the US is prepared to go to the wall for Israel, no matter what political consequences follow, maybe it’s worth the fight. But that same administration will have to first sit with us to figure out together how to navigate their way around the Palestinians who call those areas home.

Will deportation to another country be on the table? If it is, you can expect a barrage of punitive measures being launched at Israel by her detractors.

The second chapter of the biblical book of Isaiah offers a glimpse of when such a period will occur. It is more associated with a time when “swords will be beaten into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, when nations will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”

This is a mirror opposite of the times in which we now live, which are filled with disgust, loathing, and the desire to engage in combat with the Jewish state. Is this nothing more than the futile hope of mere mortals who, without the Almighty, do not have the capacity to put an end to wars and the evil propensities in the heart of man?

This is why annexation is not as simple as it sounds. It is wading into uncharted waters, with the daunting possibility of igniting the mother of all wars, as Israel risks everything by taking what rightly belongs to her, although others may not see it that way.

Whether or not Israel chooses to annex Judea and Samaria, it’s almost certain that she will no longer have to deal with the deliberate weakening of her military might. Nor will there be the constant calls for restraint by a feckless administration that is more concerned with political optics rather than coming to the aid of a faithful ally who is taking on the greatest enemy of our time.

In Donald Trump’s America, many believe that Israel will be strengthened militarily and financially. They are sure that the strong and enduring friendship it has enjoyed with the superpower will be tighter than ever. In that respect, the future looks promising, no matter what choice is made by the Jewish homeland and by those who are ready to stand together with her decision.

Israel would be wise to heed the well-known saying, “tread lightly”  and proceed carefully before embarking on such a major undertaking. Some paths are difficult to reverse once taken.

The writer is a former Jerusalem elementary and middle school principal. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, based on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.