U.S. Secretary Of State To Visit Middle East Ahead Of Anticipated Release Of Peace Plan

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will “next week” travel to Jerusalem to set the stage for the release of the White House’s much-hyped Israeli-Palestinian peace plan shortly after the Jewish state’s April 9 elections. Given the proximity of the trip to the vote, a State Department spokesperson stressed that “Israel is an ally…[and] we’re not going to get involved in the domestic politics of another country.” The visit nevertheless comes as the campaign is heating up, with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud trailing in the polls to the newly-formed Blue and White party led by ex-military chiefs and former high-ranking politicians. Compounding matters for the Israeli premier are probable indictments in three separate corruption cases pending a final hearing in the next few months with the attorney general. For his part, Pompeo also is expected to make stops in Kuwait and Lebanon, with the latter destination likely to be a hot topic of conversation in Jerusalem given Iranian proxy Hizbullah’s recent electoral gains and an ongoing divergence of opinion over the legitimacy of the government in Beirut.