Did Netanyahu annex The West Bank?

Apart from the token outrage of Western media and politicians, Netanyahu’s vote-grabbing announcement that he would annexe the West Bank if elected passed calmly. As far as Palestinians are concerned their promised state is already annexed and under the control of the Israeli police and military. The building of illegal Israeli settlements on the West Bank continues apace connected by settlers-only roads forbidden to Palestinians. Apart from the Gaza strip, Palestine has ceased to exist, and the two-state solution is dead in the water.

And a potentially bigger conflict is looming as Israeli turns its attention to the gas and oil potential of the Eastern Mediterranean. With its complex of nation states claiming sovereign mineral rights – Egypt, Israel (Gaza Palestine?), Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Cyprus (Greek and Turkish) – it’s a nightmare.

I have a wide experience of oil revenue allocations, and it is a bitter struggle about the huge revenue potentials, especially for smaller and less powerful players. With the overwhelming support of Trump’s America, Israel will be a the most powerful player indeed.

Much as I am anti-Zionist, I have to admire the determination of Israel to exploit and manipulate every opportunity to their advantage. Would that all of us had this ruthless determination.

Supposedly in conflict with the Arabian Gulf States they have cooperated with the UAE in the establishment of the diamond trade in Dubai – and Hassidic diamond dealers enter the UAE quite freely. And now, with the growing regional power struggle between Shia Iran and Sunna Saudi Arabia, the Israelis are offering their cooperation, and finance to The Gulf States, to build a rail link from The Arabian Gulf to The Mediterranean. Shades of the Ottoman Empire and Lawrence of Arabia?

And, along the way of course, defeating Iran will blunt the very successful Iranian backed Hezbollah’s fight against Israel in Lebanon.

Maybe the young graduates I mentored in Saudi Arabia were right. The Zionists do not only covet Palestine, they want the whole of the Middle East: the vast oil wealth and all the Holy places of Christendom and Islam.

When I was working in The Arabian Gulf, some 10 years ago, the Israel/Palestine conflict was front and centre. Now, distracted by the rise of China to potential world dominance, and an existential fatigue with endless Mid-East conflict (Gulf Wars, Afghanistan, the Arab Spring, Syria, ISIS/Daesh etc.), Palestine will just fade off the map. Mission accomplished. Ethnic cleansing swept under the carpet.

How ironic: the magic carpet hovering over the Middle East is the carpet of Zion, and not of Islam.

My book, THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind” will take you back to when the developed world seemed concerned about the fate of the Palestinians. Of Eisenhower’s mistrust of the Israelis, and the Oslo Peace Accords, and the Road Map to peace – all of which have been ignored and trampled on by the Israelis. My book is written from the point of view of expatriate oil workers like me; the flotsam and jetsam that washed up in The Arabian/Persian Gulf – victims of the West’s ruthless and heartless financial system. The same system that has given their unwavering support to the Zionists, and who were the architects of the GFC, the Global Financial Crash of 2008.

You can review and buy my book, THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind” and its fictionalizations of real events in the Middle East at:

amazon.com

Or on my publisher’s website:

feedaread.com

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Reaping the Whirlwind

My novel THE GULF is a linked series of stories about the expatriate characters in The Arabian/Persian Gulf washed up there because of the blunderings of ignorant and arrogant politicians, and venal and corrupt businessmen.
I subtitled it “Reaping the Whirlwind” because the chaos in The Gulf can be traced back to the politicians and businessmen of The British and French Empires who sowed the wind in the early 20th Century.
The Sykes/Picot Agreement that broke up Assyria and created Syria and Iraq, and later split off Lebanon and Kuwait. The Balfour Declaration that gave Zionists the green light to occupy Palestine. The deposing of the democratically elected Mosedeq government in Iran and the installation of the corrupt Shah and his venal cronies that led to The Ayatollahs’ rule. And America’s greed for cheap oil that led to the fabulous oil wealth of Saudi Arabia that funded fundamental Islam and led to the events of 9/11.
The USA inherited the mantle of the British Empire in the Middle East, and they have sown the wind again with two Gulf Wars, and unconditional support for Israel. They reaped the whirlwind with 9/11 and continue to do so with the Iran backed Hezbollah, Al-Qa’eda and the now even more terrifying ISIS (The Islamic State).
In the early days Israel, backed and supplied by the USA, had little problem dealing with threats from Egypt and Syria, and invaded and destabilized South Lebanon with impunity. But if I remember correctly in their last incursion into Lebanon they were fought to a standstill by The Hezbollah. And now it seems that in the not too distant future they will face a battle-hardened, well-organized, well-funded and well-armed army of many thousands on their Eastern flank.
How much longer can America afford financially and strategically to support Israel and be so distracted from facing the growth of China, and the re-emergence of Russia as world powers?
In the final chapter in my book THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind” the protagonist is Layla, a Christian Palestinian who runs a Church of England orphanage in Ramallah. She says that this conflict is not really a religious or idealogical battle between Judaism and Islam: it is an ancient and atavistic blood feud over territory and resources between Arab tribes. The West understands the issues, but do not understand the people.
The West should not be involved.
You can preview my book THE GULF “Reaping the Whirlwind”</strong at:
http://www.amazon.com/author/mikerichards
and download it if you have a Kindle.
Or if you prefer a real book you can order the paperback edition from:
http://www.thebookdepository.co.uk
The ISBN number is 978-1908147097
They offer free delivery worldwide.
I hope it enriches your life.