President Donald Trump's top national security aides have been unable to reach a decision on whether to support an Israeli plan to extend sovereignty to large parts of Judea and Samaria and the Jordan Valley that the Palestinians claim for a future state, an impasse that could affect the timing of any action by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The White House said Thursday that consultations with Israeli officials will continue as they try to formulate a proposal that would support Trump's plan for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.
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The Trump administration's decision on Israel's sovereignty bid could alter the United State's position in the Middle East and affect Trump's election-year support with evangelical Christians, an important part of his political base. Virtually the entire international community opposes the move, but many of Trump's domestic supporters enthusiastically back it.
The announcement of a delay came a day after inconclusive talks about backing Netanyahu's intention to extend Israel's civilian administration to these two areas.
A senior administration official said US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and the administration's special envoy for Mideast peace Avi Berkowitz will hold further discussions on the issue with Israeli officials.
The official said the White House meetings had been "productive" but added that "there is yet no final decision on the next steps for implementing the Trump plan."
Trump could side entirely with Netanyahu, who has cited July 1 as a hoped-for date for a decision, or endorse a less comprehensive takeover, or oppose it outright which is an unlikely scenario. The date of July 1 was never set in stone by the Americans, and the uncertainty of the Trump administration's position could make it even less likely.
However, Netanyahu is expected to act before the fall, given uncertainty over Trump's prospects for a second term and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden's opposition to the Israeli sovereignty bid.
The partisan divide over the Israeli move was highlighted Thursday with the release of a letter to the Israeli government signed by 189 House Democrats expressing concern about the sovereignty plan.
"Our fear is that unilateral actions, taken by either side, will push the parties further from negotiations and the possibility of a final, negotiated agreement," the lawmakers said.
At stake for the American administration is its credibility both with Arab partners and with European nations that Trump has antagonized on numerous fronts: from climate change to trade, to the Iran nuclear deal.
Potentially more persuasive politically for Trump and his team is that his decision will affect his standing with evangelical Christians whose support he needs to win re-election. Although the Trump campaign believes evangelical Christians will overwhelmingly vote to re-elect the incumbent president, the campaign is concerned about a drop-off in enthusiasm and potential participation among an essential group of voters.
Among those favoring Netanyahu's plan are Trump advisers such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as well as Friedman and a number of Republicans in Congress. They say extending Israeli sovereignty, in addition to pleasing Trump's base, would make a peace deal easier because that step would blunt what they believe are unrealistic Palestinian expectations for a future state, according to officials familiar with the matter.
But others in the administration and in Congress want to see no, or limited, White House recognition of potential sovereignty. They include Pentagon officials and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and the architect of the Mideast peace plan, which has been roundly rejected by the Palestinians.
People on this side of the debate worry that a robust public endorsement would alienate US allies in the Middle East and beyond at a particularly sensitive time in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and threats posed by Iran.
Jordan, one of only two Arab nations with a peace deal with Israel, and the United Arab Emirates, a key US partner in the Mideast, have come out against annexation and warned of severe consequences for the region if Netanyahu goes ahead. The European Union has voiced strong opposition and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said he hopes Israel will not proceed.
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