By Lahav Harkov, Tovah Lazaroff, and Omri Nahmias, JPost—
Israel may still apply sovereignty to parts of Judea and Samaria, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Likud faction meeting on Monday.
“It has not been taken off the agenda,” Netanyahu told Likud MKs. “The option still exists.”
The prime minister said the matter is currently in the Trump administration’s hands.
The coalition agreement between Blue and White set July 1 as the earliest possible date at which Netanyahu could bring extending Israeli sovereignty, in accordance with the Trump administration’s peace plan, to a vote.
US President Donald Trump’s Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz was in Israel ahead of July 1 to meet with Netanyahu, Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz and others. The Trump administration has not yet announced a position on the matter of sovereignty since.
A source familiar with the discussions in the US told The Jerusalem Post: “Post-Berkowitz’s trip to the region, the team has continued to work on the details but do not have an update at the moment.”
“Berkowitz has been working on a few options, but it is unclear if the president has been briefed on these options,” the person added.
The Trump peace plan would allow Israel to apply its law to 30% of the West Bank, including all settlements and the Jordan Valley. The rest would be designated for an eventual Palestinian state, which would receive recognition and a massive aid package from the US if it meets a list of pre-conditions, including demilitarization, stopping incitement and salaries for terrorists. Continue Reading….
