Trump reportedly to make final decision this week when to release ‘Deal of the Century’

American and Israeli officials say Trump to decide this week whether or not to release ‘Deal of the Century’ plan before Israel’s election.

By David Rosenberg, INN

President Donald Trump will decide this week whether his administration will release the much-awaited Middle East peace plan before Israel’s March 2nd Knesset election, or whether the administration will wait until after Israel’s third election in less than a year, Channel 13 reported Sunday night.

According to both Israeli and American officials, the president has yet to discuss the issue with his team handling the Mideast peace plan – which has been dubbed the “Deal of the Century”, adding that a number of factors this week will determine the timing of the plan’s release.

The Trump administration has already held off on releasing the plan for over a year, delayed by two Israeli general elections in 2019.

Now, President Trump is considering whether to wait for Israel’s third election, set for March 2nd, along with the formation of a new government.

While the US in the past has assiduously avoided having the release of the peace plan interfere with internal Israeli politics, administration officials fear that further delays could make progress on the deal difficult in the midst of this year’s presidential election.

American and Israeli officials say President Trump’s decision will be determined in part by developments in congressional Democrats’ bid to remove Trump from office following his impeachment in the House of Representatives.

In addition, the decision will likely be influenced partially by meetings between Trump, his senior adviser Jared Kushner, and a number of world leaders taking part in this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

A third factor which will influence Trump’s decision is Kushner’s planned trip to Jerusalem, set to begin this Wednesday, for the Fifth World Holocaust Forum.

Kushner is expected to meet with both Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his election opponent, Blue and White chief Benny Gantz.

According to the report, Netanyahu is hoping for an early release of the peace plan, while Gantz has opposed an early release, on the grounds that it would constitute election interference.

January 20, 2020 | 8 Comments »

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  1. Gantz,has now said that he is against unilateral annexation. In other words he is leaving Israeli rights and sovereignty up to foreigners. So in short he has clarified that he is really weak about Israeli rights.

  2. @ yamit82:I agree about Gantz. By the way you said I said, that it would be accurate to say Gantz was involved in the double talk, while playing politician and trying to get right wingers to vote for him.

  3. Trump on the economy B+

    Trump on foreign policy D+

    He needs a real foreign policy success so enter Israel and he figures in his narrow transactional mind that Israel owes him and he can demand payment of the bill. If Israel rejects his plan he will come down on us like a ton of bricks. If not before the coming election, certainly after

  4. If Trump presents his plan he will lose the 2020 election.

    There is a good reason BB doesn’t want it rolled out before the elections… He will lose all support from the parties to his right and much of the Likud.

  5. Bear Klein Said:

    Gantz continued, saying that “After the elections, we will work to apply [Israeli] sovereignty on the Jordan Valley, [and] we will do this in a nationally agreed upon manner and in coordination with the international community.”

    He is full of crap !!! Coordination with the Intl community is code for not happening. Since when does Israel need to get Int approval for acting in our ow national interest?

  6. @ Adam Dalgliesh:
    Read the full linked article as to Gantz’s statements on the Jordan Valley. I have copied some of the article.

    Blue and White leader Benny Gantz said on Tuesday that he will seek to annex the Jordan Valley if elected prime minister and would do so in coordination with the international community.

    Speaking during a tour of the region, Gantz described the Jordan Valley, which lies at the eastern edge of the West Bank, as the State of Israel’s eastern defensive wall in any future scenario,” and said it was “an inseparable part of the State of Israel.”

    Gantz continued, saying that “After the elections, we will work to apply [Israeli] sovereignty on the Jordan Valley, [and] we will do this in a nationally agreed upon manner and in coordination with the international community.”
    The Blue and White leader said that until the region can be annexed, he would work to develop the Jordan Valley region, including its infrastructure and agriculture, its settlements and its tourism industry.”

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately challenged Gantz to prove his commitment to what would be a highly controversial step owing to the Palestinian expectation that this area would eventually be part of a Palestinian state, by calling on him to immediately implement the annexation through the Knesset.

    https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Gantz-calls-for-annexation-of-Jordan-Valley-614803

  7. @ Bear Klein: As far as I know, Yaalon and Gantz have not endorsed Smotrich’s present legislative initiative to annex the Jordan Valley now. I don’t know that Yaalon has been authorized to speak for Gantz about this matter. Gantz as usual says little and keeps his plans close to the vest. We will only no his actual policies once he becomes Prime Minister, and perhaps not even then.

  8. Israel should preempt the plan by applying sovereignty to the Jordan Valley this week.

    Yaalon says Gantz is serious about keeping the Jordan Valley. The Likud is in favor of this. Smotrich is calling out Bibi to make good on his promise to apply sovereignty to the Jordan Valley. So, if all are telling the truth it should easily pass with a very large majority.

    Blue and White leader Benny Gantz is more serious about annexing the Jordan Valley than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, MK and former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon told The Jerusalem Post in an interview on Monday.

    ransportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a Yamina candidate, wrote to Netanyahu on Monday, asking him to hold a vote on annexing the Jordan Valley when the Knesset convenes next Tuesday to vote on forming a House Committee that will reject immunity for Netanyahu.
    Smotrich’s proposal was seen as a threat against Netanyahu, insinuating that his vote in favor of immunity could be lost if Netanyahu does not initiate the vote on the Jordan Valley.
    “Yisrael Beytenu and Blue and White think a caretaker government can make key decisions on matters of principle, and I am in favor,” Smotrich wrote to Netanyahu. “Annexing the Jordan Valley is one of the most important Zionist steps that are on the agenda. If Blue and White is moving rightward, let us give them a chance to prove it.”

    Full article at https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Yaalon-to-Jpost-Gantz-more-serious-on-annexing-Jordan-Valley-than-Bibi-614748