White House to Press Ahead with Peace Plan Implementation

The White House will reportedly press ahead with the implementation of its Middle East peace plan irrespective of when a government is eventually formed in Israel and despite the Palestinian Authority’s ongoing boycott of the US administration. According to US media, President Donald Trump’s point man on the issue, Jared Kushner, last week told senators during a closed-door briefing that this would include conferring US recognition on West Bank territories the peace proposal envisions being annexed by Israel. Currently, a six-member team of US and Israeli officials is mapping regions of the West Bank that Jerusalem will thereafter apply sovereignty to with Washington’s blessing. Kushner nevertheless suggested that the demarcation process could take months and urged the Palestinian leadership to return to the negotiating table in the interim.