Israeli diplomats in Europe, as well as foreign diplomats currently posted in Israel, are complaining about the lack of communication from Jerusalem regarding the planned implementation of the Trump administration's Middle East peace plan.
Foreign diplomats are telling Israel Hayom that the countries they represent are deeply interested in whether or not Israel's decision to apply sovereignty to Jewish settlements in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley – which they term "annexation" – will proceed as planned. Various foreign ministers have been asking Israeli envoys as well as their own diplomats in Israel for details about the plan, the likelihood that it will be implemented, and its possible ramifications.
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"Until the government was formed, we were able to say it was a theoretical issue and we needed to wait and see what the new government's policy would be," a number of Israeli diplomats said.
"But the government was formed and the policy still isn't clear. There seems to be a lot of buzz regarding the matter in Israel, but no one has yet explained to us what is going to happen and what we are supposed to say," they added.
The Israeli officials stressed that without any clear message from the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, the discourse about the planned move in the foreign countries where they represent Israel is being controlled by the Palestinians and their supporters.
"The main claim is that annexation violates international law. No one is giving us responses to that claim, or any other arguments. We've been left on our own," they said.
Envoys of foreign governments in Israel are also dissatisfied with the lack of any information from the government and that they are learning about the plans to apply sovereignty mostly from the Israeli media. Some of these officials are saying that they aren't getting any answers from the Foreign Ministry itself, either about the steps Israel plans to take or why Israel feels those steps are justified. Some have noted that they would like to be able to stand up for the policy, but are not being given the tools to do so.
Israel Hayom has learned that the Foreign Ministry has prepared work plans and a series of communiqués for the event that Israel does proceed with the plan to apply sovereignty. The plans include content tailored to discussion with foreign ministries across the globe as well as public diplomacy material. However, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi has not yet given a green light to put the plans into action.
Sources close to Ashkenazi are saying that in addition to introductory conversations with his counterparts in other countries, he is holding talks with Israel's ambassadors and intends to provide them with instructions and public diplomacy tools.
The Foreign Ministry issued a response to the claims raised by diplomatic officials, saying, "The matter is being worked on intensely by the Foreign Ministry. When the work is complete and recommendations are in place, instructions will be given to Israeli embassies and consulates throughout the world."
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