Netanyahu slows annexation push as White House message shifts
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

Trump and Netanyahu at the White House. Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu no longer plans to bring annexations in the West Bank before his Cabinet for a vote in the coming days, after being urged to slow down by the White House.
Why it matters: Netanyahu seemed to receive the green light he was looking for yesterday to go ahead with annexations of all Israeli settlements and much of the Jordan Valley — and he planned to act quickly. Now, he's taking a step back.
The backstory: Some in the White House were unhappy with Netanyahu's plan to quickly annex areas envisioned as part of Israel in the proposal President Trump unveiled yesterday.
- U.S. officials tell me they had previously requested that Netanyahu not take such action right away.
- "The president could not have been any clearer. This is a process and it will take time," one senior U.S. official says.
- Netanyahu's aides, meanwhile, say they understood from their talks with the White House that they had the go-ahead.
Part of the confusion was due to contradictory messages from senior U.S. officials.
- U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman briefed reporters on Tuesday that Israel could begin annexations as soon as they had domestic approval.
- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave a similar message in an interview with me, saying Israel could move forward so long as its steps were consistent with Trump's plan.
On Wednesday, the message changed.
- U.S. officials including Friedman said in press briefings and in private talks with Netanyahu's aides that a joint U.S.-Israeli committee needs to discuss the details of any annexation plans before they proceed.
- Friedman said he didn't know how long that process would take.
Where things stand: Netanyahu's aides said the Cabinet would not be voting on annexation next week. One stressed that this was "a complex process that needs a lot of work on maps."
- Netanyahu's spokesperson even deleted a tweet about the planned Cabinet vote.
The big picture: Israeli annexations in the West Bank could fundamentally change the status quo between the Israelis and Palestinians, imperil Israel's peace treaty with Jordan and spark an uprising among Palestinians.
- They could also boost Netanyahu's chances in a March 2 election and become a central part of his legacy.
Go deeper: Netanyahu surrenders immunity, faces corruption trial
