Jun 1, 2020 - World

U.S. and Israel huddle on annexation a month out from Netanyahu's deadline

Barak Ravid

Kushner (L) with Netanyahu in 2017. Photo: Israeli Prime Ministry via Getty

The White House held talks with Israel's new government today, a month from its July 1 deadline to begin the process of annexing parts of the West Bank, to take the pulse on the Israeli side, U.S. and Israeli officials tell me.

Why it matters: The Trump administration has not yet decided whether it will give Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the green light he is seeking to move forward on annexation.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman met today with Benny Gantz, Israel's defense minister and alternate prime minister, to discuss the annexation issue.
Several hours later, Friedman, Jared Kushner and White House envoy Avi Berkowitz had a conference call with Netanyahu and Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer.

Behind the scenes: Following those conversations, an Israeli official told me his impression is that the White House has cooled on annexation and wants to slow down the process before making a final decision.

The big picture: The coalition deal that allowed Netanyahu to form his new government says he can bring "the understandings with the Trump administration" on annexation up for a vote in his Cabinet or the Knesset as early as July 1 — but only with the full agreement of the White House.

Netanyahu said last week that this timetable is not going to change.

Go deeper: European leaders urge Netanyahu against West Bank annexations

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U.S. and Israel huddle on annexation a month out from Netanyahu's deadline

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