Trump invites Netanyahu, challenger to discuss peace plan
JERUSALEM — President Donald Trump on Thursday invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his challenger in upcoming elections, Benny Gantz, to Washington next week for a discussion of Trump’s long-awaited Middle East peace plan.
Vice President Mike Pence extended the invitations while in Israel, where he met with the embattled longtime Israeli leader and his lesser-known rival, and hours later Trump said he could release the plan as soon as next week.
“President Trump asked me to extend an invitation to Prime Minister Netanyahu to come to the White House next week to discuss regional issues, as well as the prospect of peace here in the Holy Land,” Pence said, speaking alongside Netanyahu at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
Pence added that, at Netanyahu’s urging, he extended a similar offer to Gantz to come to the White House for a preview of the plan, which was finished last year but kept under wraps amid political turmoil in Israel. No details of the package were released Thursday.
“I think that the president is seeking to give Israel the peace and security it deserves,” Netanyahu said, adding that he “gladly” accepted the invitation.
Trump told reporters on Thursday that he would probably put out his peace plan ahead of the meetings Tuesday. “Probably we’ll release it a little bit prior to that,” he said.
The plan does not include any representatives from the other side of the conflict, the Palestinians, who have refused to engage with an administration it sees as hopelessly biased in Israel’s favor.
Trump said his administration has talked to the Palestinians.
“We’ve spoken to them briefly. But we will speak to them in a period of time,” Trump said. “And they have a lot of incentive to do it. I’m sure they maybe will react negatively at first, but it’s actually very positive to them.”
The plan is expected to strongly favor Israel and is unlikely to garner any international support if it is seen as undermining the prospect of a two-state solution.