Efforts to continue in April following local elections; Pompeo reports peace deal will not be US-driven but decided by Israelis and Palestinians.
The Trump Administration will continue with its peace plan efforts following Israel’s elections in April.
During a televised address to the World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the peace deal would not be “US-driven”, and that any future agreement would be made by the Israelis and the Palestinians. He reported that efforts would resume in April.
Pompeo, alongside President Trump’s special envoys for the Middle East, Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt, have been meeting with Arab and Israeli officials on Trump’s peace plan over the past year. Pompeo recently finished a Middle East tour, which included stops in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. His meetings centered on the peace deal, Iran and Syria.
Pompeo reported on Tuesday, “We’ve begun to share elements of this across the region. It won’t be a US-driven process. Ultimately, the Israelis and the Palestinians will have to come to an agreement. But we think that the foundations that we have laid and the work that we’ll do immediately following the Israeli elections will set conditions where we can have a constructive conversation.”
President Trump’s anticipated peace deal has been referred to as the “Deal of the Century” and will include regional players and provide economic opportunities, as well as security and diplomatic cooperation. Details of the peace plan have been kept from the public and the Trump Administration and US State Department have refused to comment on reports or speculation on the plan’s details.
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