The United States dismissed as false an Israeli assertion on Monday that the two countries were discussing the possibility of annexing Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
"Reports that the United States discussed with Israel an annexation plan for the West Bank are false," White House spokesman Josh Raffel said. "The United States and Israel have never discussed such a proposal, and the president's focus remains squarely on his Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative."
The statement was made just hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked his Likud party not to advance legislation that would extend Israeli sovereignty to Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
"On the subject of applying sovereignty, I can say that I have been talking to the Americans about it for some time," Netanyahu told a closed-door meeting of Likud MKs. "Two principles have guided my approach on this issue: the first – making sure there is no daylight with the U.S., a strategic asset to Israel and the settlement enterprise, and the second – that any such legislation on the matter is led by the government, because this matter has historic dimensions to it."
Netanyahu's statement was ostensibly designed to explain why he blocked the annexation measure earlier this week. The exact words he used remain a mystery because it was a closed event, but his comments were interpreted by the Trump administration to mean that the two governments were discussing annexation.
Even before the U.S. issued its strong denial, Netanyahu's associates and various Israeli officials insisted that he was referring to the ongoing dialogue on the status of Judea and Samaria rather than to any specific plan or bill. "Netanyahu has been discussing Israel's national interests with the U.S. administration in the context of peace agreements, he did not present the U.S. with specific annexation plans and regardless, the U.S. has never expressed support for the various plans," a senior Israeli official said.
Late Monday, the Prime Minister's Office issued a clarification to make it clear there were no U.S.-Israeli talks about the controversial bill or other such measures. "Israel updated the Americans on the initiatives being raised in the Knesset, and the Americans expressed their unequivocal position that they are committed to advancing President Trump's peace plan," the statement read.
Trump, in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, said, "Now is the time to work toward an enduring peace agreement," a White House statement said Monday.
