Report: No Israel-US agreement on annexation as target date nears

Mon, Jun 15, 2020
By publisher
2 MIN READ

Foreign

ISRAEL Army Radio on Monday reported that with just two weeks left before July 1 deadline, Israel and the US were yet to agree on the planned Israeli annexation of West Bank settlements.

An official, who was present at a meeting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Benny Gantz with U.S. ambassador David Friedman, said that no progress of any kind was made at the meeting.

The official spoke to the radio broadcaster on condition of anonymity. Neither a spokesman for Netanyahu nor a spokeswoman for Gantz commented on the outcome of the meeting.

A minister of Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party said the long-serving Israeli leader was determined to go ahead with the move.

According to Minister without Portfolio Zachi Hanegbi, prime minister understands that possibly in November the window of opportunity will close.

Israel captured the West Bank from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War, including East Jerusalem and the historic, walled Old City.

Israel claims historic rights to what it refers to as Judea and Samaria, the Biblical names for the Southern and Northern West Bank.

The Palestinians want the West Bank, as well as the Gaza Strip, as their future state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

A coalition deal between Netanyahu and his former rival Gantz stipulates that the former may bring an annexation proposal for a vote before parliament as early as July 1. (dpa/NAN)

– Jun. 15, 2020 @ 12:49 GMT |

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