Netanyahu Floats Settlement Annexation After Trump's Golan Move
- In a tight election campaign, premier promises ‘fateful’ term
- Embattled PM has history of provocative calls on election eve
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would extend sovereignty to areas of the West Bank, an incendiary gambit that suddenly appears within the realm of plausibility, just days before national elections.
The declaration, in a Saturday night interview with Israeli television, seemed aimed at right-wing voters whose support Netanyahu needs to secure a fifth term April 9. Amid a tight race against former army chief Benny Gantz, the comments on annexation could distract attention from Netanyahu’s potential indictment on bribery and fraud charges in a wide-ranging corruption investigation.