I admit, I subscribe to the notion that Israel should apply sovereignty to any area it can under the Trump administration's "deal of the century." But realizing the here-and-now achievement that until a few weeks ago was unthinkable (American recognition of sovereignty) could not become a precondition for the support of those who brought about this achievement in the first place.
It is surprising to find that it is the hardline ideological Right, and in particular, the settlement movement, which thanks to Netanyahu has been able to slowly shed its "illegal" veneer, that is now voicing opposition to Likud in a way that undermines the only chance of bringing the long and hard-fought sovereignty struggle to fruition.
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But even if there is political or diplomatic difficulty in implementing sovereignty immediately, it does not mean that it cannot be encouraged right now. There is already American consent to applying sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and the large settlement blocs in Judea and Samaria after the elections, so the Likud must make the public aware of the fact that things are about to materialize on the ground.
If this requires drawing up maps, work plans, marking dates for implementation, and answering various legal and economic questions – than preparatory work is needed forthwith. A "sovereignty application team" has to be put together and tasked, among other things, helping Likud drive the message home: If the party can secure the 61-MK majority necessary to form a government then applying sovereignty will be a leading principle in the next government's agenda.
One would be wise to remember that while the Likud is willing to commit to applying sovereignty, Blue and White prefers to wait for Palestinian "consent" and "coordination" with the nations of the region. And the Palestinians, of course, didn't wait for the plan to even be released before rejecting it.
If anyone in the Right is still pondering the notion of partnering with Blue and White, they should reflect on its MK's latest string of statements and ask themselves, where would a sovereignty move be with Netanyahu at the helm, and what may befall it under the leadership of Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, whose chance of forming a coalition without the support of the Joint Arab List are slim.
Given Gantz's own statement about applying sovereignty, Blue and White cannot present itself as a "pure" alternative to Likud, especially given its dependency on the Joint Arab List.
The only chance the Likud has to secure the magic number of 61 mandates is to introduce a comprehensive plan to apply sovereign as part of its campaign and to regularly present Netanyahu's leadership and achievements vis-à-vis Gantz's inexperience and mediocre performance so far.
