Netanyahu’s plans for West Bank stalled by White House split

BENJAMIN Netanyahu’s move to annex parts of the West Bank is being held up by a split in the White House involving Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law.

Israel’s prime minister is said to be waiting for a green light from Mr Trump over his promise to bring Jewish settlements under Israeli civic control, which could start as early as Wednesday.

But after a frustrating week of talks in the White House and with many of the world’s nations vocal in their opposition, there is still doubt about the degree to which the US president will support the move.

Mr Trump has been a fierce supporter of Israel during his time in office, changing US policy to provisionally back the country’s claim over large parts of the disputed West Bank territory through his Middle East peace plan released earlier this year.

Mr Netanyahu promised to annex vast swathes of the territory but reports from Israel suggest he is likely to push for only a handful of settlements in a possible July 1 vote in parliament.

The New York Times reported a clash in approach between Mr Kushner, who led on the creation of the Middle East peace plan, and David Friedman, America’s ambassador to Israel, who was once Mr Trump’s bankruptcy lawyer.

Mr Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter, reportedly saw the Trump administration’s initial public support for annexation as a way of bringing Palestinians to the negotiating table, restarting peace talks that collapsed six years ago.

However Mr Friedman, according to the paper, is more supportive of annexation as an end in itself.

Before joining the Trump administration he was involved in a fundraising organisation that raised money for settlements in the West Bank. Neither men commented to the paper.

Kellyanne Conway, a senior White House adviser, said on Wednesday that a “big announcement” was coming on the issue but no such public declaration had been made by Saturday night.

The significance of the Trump position reflects the vocal and long-standing opposition found elsewhere in the world, including from the European Union, to the unilateral annexation of parts of the West Bank by Israel.

Under the framework of the Trump plan – rejected by the Palestinians – the Israeli government could annex up to 30 per cent of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, but such a bold move would risk triggering a major diplomatic crisis in the region.

Arab leaders have publicly stated their strong opposition to annexation, while Boris Johnson has strongly rejected it on the grounds that it breaches international law.

The US election could play into the thinking of both the American and Israeli leadership about when and how to act.

Mr Netanyahu hopes to act before November when Mr Trump, a staunch Israel supporter, could be voted out of office.