U.S. Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt was scheduled to arrive in Israel on Thursday, ahead of Vice President Mike Pence's visit to the region next week.
Greenblatt is expected to meet with high-ranking Israeli officials in light of recent developments, particularly Sunday's speech by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who railed against U.S. President Donald Trump, castigating him for his treatment of the Palestinians and saying the PA will have no problem rejecting an unacceptable peace plan.
The speech was widely condemned by Israeli officials. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the unprecedentedly jarring rhetoric had "exposed Abbas' true colors."
Greenblatt's visit is not out of the ordinary, as he frequently travels to the region, but it comes without an official announcement by either the U.S. or Israel, so as not to further aggravate the already strained relations with Ramallah.
According to an unnamed source, the Americans wish to assess the situation following four recent developments: Trump's Dec. 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital; the absence of American condemnation of Israel's construction plans in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria; the anticipated U.S. blueprint for a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians; and the U.S.'s recent decision to cut funds to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which provides assistance to Palestinians it defines as "refugees."
Meanwhile, Israel is preparing for Pence's visit to the region.
The vice president was scheduled to visit Israel in December but postponed his trip due to a congressional vote on Trump's tax reform.
Pence is slated to arrive in Egypt on Jan. 20, where he will meet with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. He is due to meet with Jordanian King Abdullah in Amman the following day, then continue on a two-day visit to Israel.
While in Israel, Pence is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin, address the Knesset and visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. According to the official itinerary, he is also expected to visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Also on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson revealed the Trump administration's strategy in Syria.
Speaking at the Hoover Institution think tank at Stanford University, Tillerson stressed that an American disengagement from Syria would offer a golden opportunity for Iran to tighten its grip on the war-torn country and assist Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Tillerson said the U.S. will maintain some military presence in Syria with aim of preventing Islamic State from regaining power.
At the same time, he said, "Reducing and expelling malicious Iranian influence from Syria depends on a democratic Syria."
