Cartographic erasure: Netanyahu’s omission of occupied West Bank

During a press conference this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu displayed a map that excluded the West Bank, evoking comparisons to historical leaders redrawing borders in occupied territories.

Pressure, both international and domestic, has mounted on Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire. Yet, Netanyahu showed no inclination to entertain a truce. Instead, he outlined a distorted vision for the future of Palestine.

When questioned about the omission, Netanyahu deflected, noting that the Dead Sea was also not shown on the map. He launched into a tirade, accusing Palestinians of wanting to eradicate Jews from Israel, even as his forces continue to displace nearly two million Palestinians in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict.

In his briefing, Netanyahu also used inflammatory language, referring to Palestinians as “barbarians” and “horrendous savages,” while framing Israel’s military actions as part of a “just war” in so-called defence of Western civilization in the Middle East.

“This is not the first time Netanyahu has presented a map that erases the West Bank’s borders,” said Ramzy Baroud, a Palestinian author and political analyst. “He also removed any reference to occupied Palestine from the West Bank to Gaza and East Jerusalem when he presented his map of the Middle East at a UN General Assembly meeting in September 2022,” Baroud tells TRT World.

According to Baroud, Netanyahu uses such visuals deliberately, sending messages tailored to both his far-right coalition and Israel’s Western allies.

No repercussions

In the latest episode, he tried to demonstrate to Western allies and international media why the so-called Philadelphi Corridor was essential to Israeli security, he says. But the map actually “was a message to his far-right supporters that Israel intends to annex the entire West Bank,” Baroud adds.

“We know that Netanyahu and his extremist government do not believe in a Palestinian state in any form. To them, historic Palestine is Israel,” said Kamel Hawwash, a Palestinian professor and political analyst. “None of this paves the way for peace or a two-state solution,” Hawwash tells TRT World.

Despite the provocative nature of Netanyahu’s actions, international reaction has been largely muted. According to Baroud, the international community’s response to Netanyahu’s map was either indifferent or tepid. Apart from a brief comment from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Western leaders, including the US, have remained silent. When asked about the map, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller declined to comment.

“Western governments either support this or do nothing to stop it,” said Hawwash. Baroud added that Netanyahu’s office must be “pleased with the lack of response to the erasure of the West Bank.”

Stigmatising the slogan: From the river to the sea

US and European inaction to respond to Netanyahu’s map highlights what many see as a double standard. In recent months, several European countries, including Germany, have banned the pro-Palestinian slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Berlin even went further prosecuting pro-Palestinian activists for chanting the slogan.

Yet, no action has been taken against Netanyahu for presenting a map that effectively envisions the same geographic span—from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea—without acknowledging Palestinian sovereignty.

“That line is also in the Likud party’s charter,” said Hawwash, referring to the ruling party’s stance that “between the Sea and the Jordan, there will only be Israeli sovereignty.” Despite the implications of this policy, Western criticism has only been directed at Palestinians when they invoke the same phrase. Netanyahu is the long-time leader of the right-wing Likud party.

Israel’s controversial 2018 Nation State Law, which grants the right to self-determination solely to Jews, also suggests that the country’s borders are not fixed. According to Hawwash, Israeli policy envisions sovereignty stretching from the river to the sea, including the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

“The West continues to stand with Israel, even after months of violence and restrictions in Gaza and the West Bank. They see Israel as an ally and reject accusations of war crimes or genocide,” Hawwash concluded.