TEL AVIV – The Trump administration has begun drafting a proposal based on the so-called two-state solution with the aim of reaching a final status Israeli-Palestinian agreement, the New York Times cited analysts and U.S. officials as saying on Saturday.
According to White House officials, the plan will attempt to address “perennial dividing points” such as the status of Jerusalem and West Bank settlements.
“We have spent a lot of time listening to and engaging with the Israelis, Palestinians and key regional leaders over the past few months to help reach an enduring peace deal,” the Times quoted Special Negotiator to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt as saying. “We are not going to put an artificial timeline on the development or presentation of any specific ideas and will also never impose a deal.”
“Our goal is to facilitate, not dictate, a lasting peace agreement to improve the lives of Israelis and Palestinians and security across the region,” he added.
Authors of the draft include Greenblatt, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategy Dina Powell and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.
The four will also consult with Donald Blome, the consul-general in Jerusalem, and others from the State Department and National Security Council. The plan could take until next year to be formulated, the report said.
The Times quoted some analysts as saying that the proposal would necessitate confidence-building measures from both sides. “For Israel, it could include limiting settlement construction to current blocs without taking new land, recommitting to a two-state solution and redesignating a small part of the West Bank to give Palestinians more control,” the report said. READ MORE
