From time to time, the Palestine Center distributes articles it believes will enhance understanding of the Palestinian political reality. The following article by Mitchell Plitnick was published by TPM on 2 October 2015.
“A Top Israeli Diplomat Publicly Admits What Netanyahu Won’t”
Tzipi Hotovely might not be a great diplomat, but her blunt communication style can be a great help in clarifying matters. This was certainly the case with her interview with the Times of Israel, which was published on September 27. In it, Hotovely, Israel’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, openly declares that Israel has no intention of handing any of the West Bank over to Palestinian control.
Hotovely’s interview has gone largely unnoticed by Middle east analysts and reporters, hidden behind the United Nations General Assembly meeting, the deepening conflict in Syria and Russia’s involvement there, as well as the aftermath of the Iran nuclear agreement. That lack of notice, however, belies the great significance of Hotovely’s revelations about Israel’s intentions in the West Bank.
As Israel has no actual Foreign Minister, Hotovely occupies Israel’s highest current diplomatic post. She is known as a rising star in the Likud Party, an outspoken opponent of the creation of a Palestinian state, and, as a self-described “religious right-winger,” she largely bases Israel’s claim to the West Bank on biblical texts. She is known as a straight shooter with strong views and has built a lot of her popularity on her willingness to state those views in very blunt terms.
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The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Jerusalem Fund.
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