Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to discuss during his trip to Israel the possibility of Israeli annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank in response to the planned recognition of the State of Palestine by numerous Western countries later this month, Israeli and U.S. officials say.
Why it matters: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still hasn't made a decision about whether to go for annexation and the scope of such a move. He wants to learn in his meeting with Rubio if President Trump would support annexation, an Israeli official said.
* Most of the international community views the West Bank as occupied territory and would consider any Israeli annexations illegal and inflammatory.
* The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has warned the Trump administration and the Israeli government that annexation of the West Bank would significantly harm the UAE-Israel peace treaty and the broader Abraham Accords and undermine the president's hopes of expanding them.
Driving the news: On Friday, the UN General Assembly endorsed the "New York Declaration" that was presented by France and Saudi Arabia and that calls for an irreversible path for a Palestinian state.
* 142 countries voted in favor of the declaration; 10 voted against it, among them the U.S. and Israel; and 12 countries abstained.
Zoom in: The declaration's principles will be the main terms of reference for the leaders summit supporting the two-state solution that will be held on September 22 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
* France, the UK, Canada and several other countries are expected to announce the recognition of Palestine during this event.
* Netanyahu and Rubio will meet on Sunday and on Monday. (Read More)
* France, the UK, Canada and several other countries are expected to announce the recognition of Palestine during this event.
* Netanyahu and Rubio will meet on Sunday and on Monday. (Read More)