US says Israeli annexation of parts of West Bank is for Israel to decide

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Concerning Israel’s annexation of parts of the West Bank, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said: “The Israelis will ultimately make those decisions. That’s an Israeli decision,” the Times of Israel reports. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Pompeo added that the US would share its views on the issue in a private setting.

According to Monday’s unity government deal agreed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz, Israel can begin legislating to annex large sections of the West Bank from 1 July. Although it is believed Gantz is against unilateral annexation, the deal provides for Netanyahu to bring the issue to a vote in the Knesset. Annexation is to be enacted in the event of the almost ensured majority vote in favor of it, the Times of Israel reports.

Nevertheless, the unity government deal provides that on annexation Netanyahu and Gantz must act in “full agreement with the US, including on the issue of [West Bank] maps, and in dialogue with the international community.” Any annexation proposal brought to the Knesset for voting must have been previously agreed with the US.

Both Gantz and Netanyahu have agreed to advance the Trump peace plan “while pursuing the security and strategic interests, maintaining regional stability, [maintaining existing] peace agreements and striving for future ones.”

The Trump administration has been largely supportive of Israeli intentions to proceed with annexation. The US said it would withdraw its veto once an Israeli government had been formed and a joint Israeli-American mapping team had worked out exactly which parts of the West Bank would be annexed.

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