By LEON SVERDLOV
US President Donald Trump is expected to decide in the coming days whether to present the White House's "Deal of the Century" before the Israeli election, Channel 13's political correspondent Barak Ravid has reported.
Ravid was speaking to the American news website Axios on Sunday.
According to Ravid, there have been intense deliberation among Trump's advisers regarding the issue, but the president is presumably concerned about the possible effect the publication of the peace plan might have on Israel's March 2 election – as well as on his own re-election.
However, if Trump decides to wait until after the election, it may be difficult for him to present his plan later due to his own 2020 re-election campaign, Ravid said.
Presenting the plan before the election might tilt the odds in favor of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose primary focus in the run-up to the election is expected to be on the question of parliamentary immunity.
After Netanyahu was indicted for bribery, fraud and breach of trust, his legal issues have also become the focus of the campaign by rival party Blue and White, which is currently also the largest party in the Knesset.
Trump's "Deal of the Century" to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been the focus of much speculation. A December report by Lebanese pan-Arabist TV channel al-Mayadeen said that a draft copy of the plan showed Jerusalem would remain united mostly under Israeli control, with some responsibilities shared with a Palestinian state.
The reports also claimed that the plan includes the formation of "New Palestine" in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with the settlement blocs to become part of sovereign Israel.
Netanyahu promised to annex the Jordan Valley before the end of the second election last fall. Then, US special envoy Jared Kushner advised the prime minister to wait until the plan is released.
The peace plan is also expected to be one of the topics raised by Kushner at the World Economic Forum in Davos which is scheduled for January 21-24.
Kushner is also expected to attend the Fifth World Holocaust Forum on Thursday and to discuss the peace plan with Netanyahu and his rival, Blue and White leader and former chief of staff Benny Gantz.
The peace plan, according to reports, entails a Palestinian state to be created as the result of a trilateral understanding between Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.
The PA has said it would not be willing to discuss the plan with the US, claiming it to be a violation of the previous agreements it signed with the State of Israel. The PA is also urging states to recognize the sovereignty of the State of Palestine.
The PA has said it would not be willing to discuss the plan with the US, claiming it to be a violation of the previous agreements it signed with the State of Israel. The PA is also urging states to recognize the sovereignty of the State of Palestine.
PA President Mahmoud Abbas has threatened to implement measures against Israel if it follows through with the plan, hinting they may include revoking the recognition of Israel and suspending its security coordination with the IDF in the West Bank.
No comments:
Post a Comment