The Trump administration has urged Israel to hold back from unilaterally annexing the Jordan Valley, recommending that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wait for the US peace plan instead.
Netanyahu has spoken of Jordan Valley annexation since the summer and it has been presumed that the Trump administration would support such a move or at the very least not oppose it. On Tuesday, Netanyahu indicated that he is weighing bringing Jordan Valley annexation to the cabinet for a vote on Sunday and then on to the Knesset for ratification on Tuesday where it is expected to easily pass.
A senior administration official, however, told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that the US preferred Israel wait for the Trump peace plan, often referred to as the “Deal of the Century.” Recent reports have indicated that the peace plan will be rolled out and unveiled within the coming weeks. “First consider our plan and give it a chance,” a senior administration official said, adding that the plan will likely address issues like the future status of the Jordan Valley and more.
The future of the peace plan remains vague. On Wednesday, Jared Kushner and Avi Berkowitz, the two leading members of the peace team – cancelled their planned visit to Israel, citing bad weather. The two had been in Davos, Switzerland with Trump and were scheduled to travel to Israel for talks with Netanyahu and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz about the plan.
Netanyahu had initially said he would only act on annexation upon formation of a government, but he is under pressure from the right-wing party Yamina headed by Defense Minister Naftali Bennett to take action now. To help force the matter, the party has linked annexation with support for Netanyahu’s quest for parliamentary immunity.
On Tuesday, Palestinian Authority ambassador to the UN in New York Riyad Mansour told the Security Council that immediate action was needed to halt pending Israeli annexation. All five European members of the council warned Israel against taking such a step: France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Estonia. UN Special Coordinator to the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov tweeted on Wednesday that “the annexation of some or all of Area C in the #WestBank, if implemented, would deal a devastating blow to the potential of reviving #Israeli #Palestinian negotiations, advancing regional #peace, and the essence of the two-state solution. #UN.”
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