Netanyahu Needs to Slice the Annexation Salami

The Israeli cabinet is scheduled to begin discussions this week on the possible unilateral annexation of Israeli settlements in the West Bank along with strategically important roadways and the Jordan Valley. While anything is possible in the tumultuous world of Israeli politics, what changes come are likely to be modest and incremental—more like slicing a salami than swallowing large new additions in a huge gulp.

There are several reasons for this. One is that annexation offers Israel few concrete benefits. Jerusalem controls…