US wants Gantz OK ahead of green light on annexation

Trump team looking for broad support in Israel before agreeing to summer implementation

The US wants Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz to agree to extend Israeli law to parts of the West Bank before it gives Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a green light to move forward with it, and it would have to take place this summer, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

US Ambassador David Friedman took part in a meeting with Gantz, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, Netanyahu and Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin, a member of the US-Israel settlement mapping committee, to discuss annexation late Sunday night.

An American source said Gantz needs to be on board with annexation for the US to back it. One reason is because, according to Israeli law, sovereignty can be extended to land that was part of the British Mandate with only a cabinet vote. Though the Right has a majority in the cabinet, it is narrow, and the US wants broad support in Israel for the move – without having to go to the much-messier Knesset for it.

Support for sovereignty from a broad unity government would give the move more longevity and not be something that presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden could easily try to reverse.

The US also supports Netanyahu’s timeline for annexation in July – if they end up supporting it – because they do not want it to happen too close to the US election in November. The Trump administration does not want to give ammunition to its critics right before the election, in case there is major violence in the region in response to annexation.

Gantz is expected to meet with settler leaders on Tuesday to discuss the Trump plan.

The 25-member Yesha Council is split on the issue, with 12 settlers led by Efrat Council head Oded Revivi supporting the plan, while Yesha Council head David Elhayani and Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan opposing it.

On Sunday night, Revivi and a group of 10 settler leaders met with Netanyahu. According to Elkana Council head Asaf Mintzer, Netanyahu told them he was determined to apply sovereignty in July, with US support.

Gantz and Ashkenazi have yet to make their position on sovereignty clear. US President Donald Trump’s plan would allow Israel to extend its laws to 30% of the West Bank, including the Jordan

Valley and all settlements, and the rest of the West Bank would be designated for a Palestinian state. Gantz has said he supports the plan as a whole. He has also made past statements about the need for Israel to maintain a presence in the Jordan Valley.

In addition, Gantz and Ashkenazi have emphasized the need to maintain peace treaties with Jordan and Egypt, which indicates that they have reservations about the plan.

Foreign Ministry sources expressed concern on Monday that Berlin may find ways to downgrade its relations with Jerusalem should Israel apply sovereignty, even if they do not institute sanctions.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas is expected to visit Israel on Wednesday, making him the first major foreign visitor since the new government was sworn in last month. Maas will meet with

ask the prime minister and the health minister: ‘Let us go back to running the trains!’”

Edri said the management together with the workers committee had prepared a comprehensive plan to meet all the Health Ministry’s requirements.

“During the months that the train did not operate, the railroad and station routes were upgraded and extensive maintenance work was done on the train to provide passengers with the best service – for soldiers, students and people who do not have private vehicles and need to return to work,” she continued, noting that “this makes no sense” when all other modes of public transportation have already resumed.

Coronavirus infections schools are also climbing.

As of Monday night, 385 students and faculty members were sick with the virus and 135 schools and preschools were closed. In total, 17,605 students and teachers were in isolation.

The Education Ministry said 63 schools that had been closed due to the virus would return to operation this week.

“The main thing that all the experts emphasized is that we must keep the three rules: Wearing masks, keeping two meters distance and hygiene – washing hands,” Netanyahu added. “I ask you, for our economy, for our health and for the lives of us all – please follow the rules.”

Also on Monday, the IDF held a forum on the pandemic, attended by Chief of Staff Lt.Gen. Aviv Kochavi as well as other senior officials. The event focused on the best practices and activities implemented by the military both within the army and in assisting with the needs of the civilian sector.

Kochavi praised the soldiers for their work and highlighted that the IDF is preparing for a second wave.

Meanwhile, a Knesset committee meeting reviewing whether the country would be prepared for a future plague found that Israel would fall short.

“Even if there is a vaccine for the coronavirus, another pandemic will almost certainly erupt in the future,” MK Ofer Shelah said. “The crisis in the health system will be due to the fact that there is not enough manpower – 50% of the medical staff is retiring and the gap in the medical system is increasing.”

At the same time, Dr. Hagai in