by Jacob Laznik
Trump and top White House advisers allegedly warned that escalation in the West Bank could jeopardize the Gaza deal and efforts to expand the Abraham Accords.
 |
President Donald Trump and his senior advisers asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to change Israel’s West Bank policies during their Monday meeting, Axios reported Tuesday, citing a US official and another source with direct knowledge.
The report said the White House fears further violence in the West Bank could derail implementation of the Gaza peace agreement and hinder efforts to widen normalization. The White House declined to comment on the president’s private meetings, according to Axios.
According to Axios, Trump’s team conveyed that a violent escalation in the West Bank would undercut the Gaza agreement and complicate efforts to expand the Abraham Accords.
The sources said the president and his advisers asked Netanyahu to avoid provocative steps and “calm things down,” raising concerns about settler violence, Palestinian Authority finances, and settlement expansion.
Axios reported that Netanyahu’s government policies were cited by the sources as weakening the Palestinian Authority, expanding settlements, legalizing outposts, displacing Palestinian communities, and moving toward de-facto annexation. The report added that Washington’s message was that changing course in the West Bank is critical to repairing ties with European countries and to any further growth of the Abraham Accords.
West Bank policy, particularly settlements, is a politically charged issue in Israel, as the pro-settlement lobby is a key part of Netanyahu’s base and influential within his coalition and Likud.
Last Monday, Jewish settlers beat and slaughtered animals belonging to a Palestinian family, whose members were also assaulted, in the West Bank.
In September, Trump stopped Netanyahu from annexing parts of the West Bank in response to European recognitions of the State of Palestine, Axios reported.
Gaza peace deal and talks with Syria
Trump told reporters that “there will be hell to pay” if Hamas does not disarm as promised during the press conference.When asked if Trump was concerned about Israel’s progress towards the implementation of the deal’s second phase, he said he is “not concerned about anything Israel is doing.”
In the meeting, Netanyahu outlined concerns about Iran and Hezbollah rebuilding military capabilities, particularly long-range missiles, the sources said. Trump said in public remarks that further military strikes against Iran remained on the table.
Axios said Netanyahu agreed to move toward the second phase of the Gaza deal despite differences with Trump’s team over its implementation. He also accepted Trump's request to resume talks with the Syrian government on a potential security pact.
Goldie Katz contributed to this report.
Jacob Laznik
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-881764
No comments:
Post a Comment