Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to begin annexing parts of the West Bank this month has been delayed as the US has yet to declare its full support for the move.
Under a coalition agreement between Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party and former rival Benny Gantz’s Blue and White, the Prime Minister could have begun the annexation process from Wednesday so long as it was done with the consent of the Trump administration.
But some US officials are wary of having the administration quickly green-light an annexation, which has divided US congress.
“It could have happened today but things still need to crystallise with the American government. There hasn’t been complete agreement over which areas Israeli sovereignty will be applied,” said Likud MP and soon-to-be minister of regional co-operation Ofir Akunis on Israel’s Army Radio.
He said Israel would not begin the process before President Donald Trump made a declaration about it, something Israel had expected last week.
US officials are looking for ways to achieve peace in the Middle East based on a plan the Trump administration unveiled earlier this year, and are seeking to restart discussions between the Israelis and Palestinians, diplomats familiar with the discussions said.
They are looking at gestures including giving the Palestinians more autonomy in parts of the areas of the West Bank that Israel has at least some control over, the diplomats said. Talks between the US and Israel are ongoing.
Read the article by Felicia Schwartz and Dov Lieber in The Australian.