United States President Donald Trump has cast the elusive pursuit of peace between Israelis and Palestinians as the “ultimate deal.” But he will step foot in Israel having offered few indications of how he plans to achieve what so many of his predecessors could not.
Mr. Trump has handed son-in-law Jared Kushner and longtime business lawyer Jason Greenblatt the assignment of charting the course toward a peace process. The White House-driven effort is a sharp shift from the practice of the previous U.S. administrations that typically gave Secretaries of State those responsibilities.
Mr. Kushner and Mr. Greenblatt were to accompany Mr. Trump on a two-day visit, set to begin from Monday and include separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Mr. Trump has also planned to visit the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and the Western Wall, an important Jewish holy site.
On the eve of Mr. Trump’s visit, Mr. Netanyahu’s Security Cabinet approved several confidence-building measures, including construction permits for Palestinians in parts of the West Bank under full Israeli control, a senior official said. The area, which makes up 60% of the West Bank and is the site of Israel’s settlements, has largely been off limits to Palestinian development.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement and did not provide further details.
Israeli media reported the package includes economic concessions and opening the border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan 24 hours a day.
White House aides have played down expectations for significant progress on the peace process during Mr. Trump’s stop, casting it as more symbolic than substantive. Yet Mr. Trump may still need to engage in some delicate diplomacy following revelations that he disclosed highly classified intelligence Israel obtained about the Islamic State group with top Russian officials, without Israel’s permission.
Israel also has expressed concern about the $110 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia that Mr. Trump announced on Saturday in Riyadh. Yuval Steinitz, a senior Cabinet minister and Netanyahu confidant, called Saudi Arabia “a hostile country” and said the deal was “definitely something that should trouble us.”
Mr. Trump’s first overseas trip as President comes as the dynamics between the U.S. and the region’s players are moving in unexpected directions.
While Israeli officials cheered Mr. Trump’s election, some are now wary of the tougher line he has taken on settlements - urging restraint but not calling for a full halt to construction. Mr. Trump has retreated from a campaign pledge to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, bending to the same diplomatic and security concerns as other Presidents who have made similar promises.
Palestinians, who viewed Mr. Trump’s victory with some trepidation, are said to have been pleasantly surprised by his openness during a recent meeting with Mr. Abbas in Washington.
A senior official, who was part of the Palestinian delegation, said Mr. Trump is planning to try to re-launch peace talks, with a goal of reaching an agreement within a year. The Trump administration rejected a request from the Palestinians to push for an Israeli settlement freeze, but promised to sort out the issue during peace negotiations, according to the official, who was not authorised to publicly discuss the private meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Jibril Rajoub, a senior Palestinian official close to Mr. Abbas, said Mr. Trump was a “serious President” who “seeks to have a real deal, not just managing the conflict.”
The area is home to sensitive religious sites, including the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray. Israeli officials are on edge over the U.S refusal to say the Western Wall is a part of Israel.
Israel considers the entire city to be its capital. The international community says the fate of east Jerusalem, claimed by the Palestinians, must be resolved through negotiations.
The last round of peace talks in 2014, led by President Barack Obama and his Secretary of State, John Kerry, fell apart.
While Mr. Netanyahu in the past has expressed support for the establishment of a Palestinian state, he has been vague about this goal since Mr. Trump took office.
Mr. Trump’s trip began in Saudi Arabia and takes him, after Israel, to the Vatican for an audience with Pope Francis, to Brussels for a NATO summit and to Sicily for a meeting of leaders of the Group of Seven major industrial nations.
