Trump invites Netanyahu to Washington for Israeli-Palestinian peace plan talks
Donald Trump has invited Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, to Washington next week ahead of what appears to be the release of his long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.
The White House has delayed releasing the secret plan, drawn up by Mr Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, several times but is now preparing to push ahead with its publication before Israel's election in March, according to Israeli media.
The Palestinians reiterated their rejection of the plan last night, and if its details are heavily pro-Israel, as expected, its publication will put the White House on a diplomatic collision course with European and Arab allies.
No details of the plan have been officially released but Israeli media reported it would tilt starkly in favour of Israel, including giving Israel sovereignty over its settlements in the occupied West Bank which most of the international community considers illegal.
The plan would also reportedly give Israel full sovereignty over Jerusalem and reject Palestinians calls for the holy city to be divided into a shared capital for both Israel and a future Palestinian state.
The plan offers Palestinians an independent state but only if Hamas, the Islamist militant group which controls Gaza, is disarmed and if the Palestinians recognise Israel as a Jewish state with Jerusalem as its capital, according to Israel’s Channel 12.
Mr Trump said on Twitter that “reports about details and timing of our closely-held peace plan are purely speculative”.
Both Mr Netanyahu and Israel’s opposition leader, Benny Gantz, have been invited to the White House next week to be briefed on portions of the plan. No Palestinians have been invited.
The reported decision to release the plan before the Israeli election is widely seen as politically advantageous to Mr Netanyahu, who is trailing behind Mr Gantz in the polls and has been indicted on criminal corruption charges.
The Israeli prime minister is due to travel to Washington on Tuesday, the same day Israel’s parliament was due to discuss Mr Netanyahu’s request to be given immunity on corruption charges.
