Top U.S. official set to hold a number of meetings this week to discuss whether to greenlight Israel's plan to annext parts of the West Bank, Channel 13 reported Saturday.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government plans to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, with the formal Knesset debates on the issue set to begin on July 1.
According to Channel 13, high-profile officials in the President Donald Trump's administration are set to attend the meeting, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, National Security Adviser Richard O’Brien, Assistant to the President and Special Representative for International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz and Jared Kushner - Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law.
In addition, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman who will fly in from Jerusalem for the meetings, set to take place on Monday and Tuesday.
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U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman with one of the heads of the settlement movement
(Photo: Efrat settlement officials )
Trump reportedly will join the meetings "at some point," but it's not clear when.
Meanwhile, top Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), warned Israel against going through with the annexation, saying it could jeopardize the Jewish state's long-term security objectives and further destabilize an already precarious Middle East region.
International actors including the United Nations and the European Union voiced their opposition to the move.