THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 25 November 2019 (On U.S. support to Israeli occupation (The Hindu))

On U.S. support to Israeli occupation (The Hindu)

• Mains Paper 2 : International Relations 
• Prelims level : US foreign policy 
• Mains level : Implications on U.S. support to Israeli occupation

Context

• The U.S. administration recently declared that the Israeli settlements on the West Bank are not illegal. 

What does this indicate?

• The decision is in line with President Donald Trump’s Israel policy, which has unconditionally favoured the Jewish nation.
• In December 2017, Mr. Trump announced that the U.S. would recognise Jerusalem, a disputed city, as Israel’s capital.
• This ignored the international consensus that the status of Jerusalem should be settled as part of a peace agreement.
• In March 2019, the US administration recognised the Golan Heights.
• Golan Heights was seized from Syria in the 1967 war by Israel which has occupied it ever since, as part of Israel.

What are the implications of the decision?

• The UN General Assembly, the Security Council and the International Court of Justice have all stated that the Israeli settlements on the West Bank are illegal.
• The UN Security Council has asked Israel to stall the settlement activities, but Israel has hardly paid any attention to international opinion.
• Israel’s defiance of international opinion on West Bank settlements is now finding U.S. support.
• The Trump administration’s declaration challenges international laws and consensus on the issue.

Way forward

• With its recognition of the Jewish settlements, US has strengthened Israel’s religious right, which wants the settlements to be annexed.
• It also complicates the already-stalled peace process between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
• If Israel goes ahead with annexation of the settlements, that will nearly put an end to the process towards the two-state solution.

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Prelims Questions: 

Q.1) With reference to the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), consider the following statements:
1. It aims at providing Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) in rural areas by 2024.
2. Ministry of Rural Development is the implementing agency for the mission.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) None of the above

Ans: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What are the implications on U.S. support to Israeli occupation?