Trump Invites Netanyahu to White House for Launch of His Mid-East Peace Plan
After numerous delays, President Donald Trump is reported by DEBKA Weekly’s sources as preparing to unveil the “Deal of the Century” – his Middle East Peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians – next week at the White House. He has invited Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to attend the event and also opposition Kahol Lavan leader Benny Gantz.
The US president will reportedly include in his plan the transition of the Jordan Valley and the areas of Jewish habitation on the West Bank to Israeli sovereign rule. The Palestinians are assigned a demilitarized state.
A high-ranking American source revealed that the Trump plan will shift Israel’s border substantially eastward.
The White House invitation to Israel’s leaders next week was handed to them by Vice President Mike Pence in Jerusalem on Thursday, Jan. 23, when he represented the United States at the world gathering for 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
The White House ceremony for launching the Middle East peace process is unprecedented in that one of the parties is adamantly opposed to the plan and will not be present.
As we reported in DEBKAfile on Jan. 21, the Trump plan will not be released in its entirety , but only the main political chapter. Before publication, he conferred in advance with key Arab rulers. The decisive conversation took place on Jan. 6 with Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman who visited the White House. The prince said that his government had no objections to the partial release of the Trump peace plan. Egyptian President Abdel-Fatteh el-Sisi and UAE ruler Sheikh Muhammed bin Zayed also agreed. But King Muhammed of Morocco sidestepped the question and avoided giving a clear answer.
