David Friedman, the American ambassador to Israel, says the United States could recognize Israeli sovereignty over parts of the West Bank in the coming weeks if the Jewish state declares it is annexing these areas.
“When the mapping process is over, when the Israeli government agrees to freeze building in the same parts of Area C that aren’t designated for the application of sovereignty and when the prime minister agrees to negotiate with the Palestinians on the basis of the Trump plan — and he already agreed to this on the first day — we’ll recognize Israel’s sovereignty in areas that according to the plan will be a part of it,” he tells the Israel Hayom newspaper in remarks published in Hebrew.
He stresses that is up to Israel to decide whether it wants to move forward with annexing these areas, but if it does the US will recognize the move, and says Israelis of all stripes have told him how much they like US President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
Under the coalition deal between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud and the Blue and White party, the next government can begin passing legislation to annex the Jordan Valley and West Bank settlements after July 1, though the prospective government has yet to be formed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. left, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, center, and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin during a meeting to discuss mapping extension of Israeli sovereignty to areas of the West Bank, held in the Ariel settlement, February 24, 2020. (David Azagury/US Embassy Jerusalem)
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