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Jimmy Carter condemns Israel's planned annexation of parts of West Bank

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, Jimmy Carter and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at the White House in 1979. Photo: Wally McNamee/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

Former President Jimmy Carter issued a statement on Wednesday calling Israel's planned annexation of up to 30% of the West Bank a "massive, illegal expropriation of Palestinian territory" that would jeopardize peace treaties and mark the end of any possible two-state solution.

Why it matters: Carter famously brought the leaders of Egypt and Israel together for secret negotiations that resulted in the 1978 Camp David Accords. His statement echoes sentiments expressed by the United Nations, the European Union and Arab nations who believe that annexation will deal a devastating blow to peace efforts.

What he's saying:

"Israel’s planned annexation of up to 30% of the West Bank as early as today would violate international laws prohibiting the acquisition of territory by force and changing the status of occupied territories. The planned move would violate the Oslo and Camp David Accords and jeopardize Israel’s peace treaties with Jordan and Egypt.
For decades, Jewish settlements in the West Bank have expanded, jeopardizing any possible establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel. Formal annexation will signal the end of the internationally agreed-upon two-state framework for peace, and with it the possibility for a just solution to the conflict.
The envisioned annexation would amount to a massive, illegal expropriation of Palestinian territory. Annexation must be stopped, and the Israelis and Palestinians should return to meaningful negotiations based on U.N. resolutions and previous bilateral agreements."

Go deeper: Why Israel’s annexation plans matter for the region

Go deeper

Barak Ravid, author of from Tel Aviv
Oct 6, 2020 - World

UAE foreign minister visits Holocaust memorial with Israeli counterpart

From L-R: Ashkenazi, Maas and bin Zayed. Photo: Michele Tantussi-Pool/Getty Images

UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed visited the Holocaust memorial in Berlin on Tuesday with his German and Israeli counterparts, a significant public gesture that comes two weeks after the signing of a normalization deal with Israel.

Why it matters: Bin Zayed is one of the first senior Arab officials to ever visit a Holocaust memorial.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Jonathan Swan
1 hour ago - Politics & Policy
Off the Rails

Episode 4: Trump turns on Barr

Photo illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photos: Drew Angerer, Pool/Getty Images

Beginning on election night 2020 and continuing through his final days in office, Donald Trump unraveled and dragged America with him, to the point that his followers sacked the U.S. Capitol with two weeks left in his term. Axios takes you inside the collapse of a president with a special series.

Episode 4: Trump torches what is arguably the most consequential relationship in his Cabinet.

Attorney General Bill Barr stood behind a chair in the private dining room next to the Oval Office, looming over Donald Trump. The president sat at the head of the table. It was Dec. 1, nearly a month after the election, and Barr had some sharp advice to get off his chest. The president's theories about a stolen election, Barr told Trump, were "bullshit."

Go deeper (6 min. read)Arrow
Rebecca Falconer
6 hours ago - Politics & Policy

In photos: Protests outside fortified capitols draw only small groups

Armed members of the far-right extremist group the Boogaloo Bois near the Michigan Capitol Building in Lansing on Jan. 17. About 20 protesters showed up, AP notes. Photo: Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images

Small groups of protesters gathered outside fortified statehouses across the U.S. over the weekend ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration Wednesday.

The big picture: Some protests attracted armed members of far-right extremist groups but there were no reports of clashes, as had been feared. The National Guard and law enforcement outnumbered demonstrators, as security was heightened around the U.S. to avoid a repeat of the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riots, per AP.

See photos (<1 min. read)Arrow