US Peace Team to Discuss Stalled Mideast Plan

A group of White House officials involved in President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan will convene on Wednesday to discuss possible courses of action regarding the stalled Israel-Palestinian deal. After visiting Israel last week and conferring with both Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Alternate Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz and National Security Council member Scott Leith will meet with Special Adviser to the President Jared Kushner for a series of discussions and reassessments. According to a Jerusalem Post report, a source inside the White House said unilateral annexation of West Bank territories by Israel might still happen in July despite growing skepticism in Israel. Meanwhile, congressional lawmakers voted this week to create a “Partnership Fund for Peace” that will direct tens of millions of dollars to Palestinian projects supporting Israeli-Palestinian cooperation and trust-building. The legislation, which was introduced in the house sub-committee on State and Foreign Operations and is expected to pass the Appropriations Committee on Thursday, was supported by organizations from across the Jewish-American spectrum, including AIPAC, J Street, the Anti-Defamation League and others.