Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to bridge gaps with the United States and his main coalition partner over his plan to apply sovereignty to large parts of Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley, a cabinet minister said on Thursday.
The remarks by Settlement Enterprise Minister Tzipi Hotovely pointed to difficulties Netanyahu could face in implementing the move, which he plans to bring before the Knesset next month.
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The controversial move has enraged the Palestinians, who suspended security cooperation with Israel. Arab and European leaders have cautioned Israel that any unilateral move in the area would deal an irreparable blow to the already moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, who heads the European Union's delegation to the Palestinian territories, said that annexation "if it happens, will have consequences for the relationship between Israel and the EU".
Speaking with Army Radio, Hotovely said, "There are gaps between the Americans and us on this issue and between us and our senior partner in the unity government, Blue and White.
"There is still no agreed map on this issue. It has to be agreed on by the government and by the American side," she noted, referring to the fact that a joint Israeli-American committee was still mapping the area that would be included in the sovereignty plan.
A US official said the coronavirus crisis had made it difficult for all members of the mapping committee to convene.
Commenting on the issue, Netanyahu told Israel Hayom that Israel is "holding discussions with the US administration and our partners in the Israeli government on the matter. I'm trying to reach the optimal result and the less I say about it, the greater the chances we can reach that result."
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