US ‘highly unlikely’ to back July 1 annexation, ToI told; mapping far from done
Preparatory work set back by weeks, maybe even months, because of COVID-19 crisis, senior source tells ToI; Kushner visit to Jerusalem also seen as vital before finalizing process
The US administration is highly unlikely to approve an Israeli move to unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank by the July 1 date envisioned by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a well-placed source told The Times of Israel on Wednesday.
In fact, it could take long weeks and possibly even several months before the joint US-Israel mapping committee concludes its work, which the White House has declared a precondition that must be met before it would give a green light for annexation, the source said.
The mapping committee is tasked with delineating the exact borders of the area Israel would apply sovereignty to — a difficult mission that requires meticulous on-the-ground-work, according to the source, who spoke to The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity.
However, one key member of the US side of the joint committee, the National Security Council’s Israel and Palestinian affairs director Scott Leith, has not been able to travel to the region since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The mapping committee has not entirely suspended its work due to COVID-19, but officials involved in the process acknowledge that Leith’s presence would be necessary to complete the committee’s work. It is unclear when Leith could make his way to Israel, and even if he were to arrive here soon, it is unlikely that the committee could complete the complex task of defining the exact territory that Israel would be allowed to annex ahead of the July 1 date.
Further complicating Jerusalem’s efforts to quickly wrap up of the mapping committee’s work is the fact that the White House officials in charge of annexation file — senior advisor to President Donald Trump Jared Kushner and special envoy to the peace process Avi Berkowitz — have not been to Israel since before the administration’s peace plan was rolled out in January.
Sources familiar with the matter said that it was highly unlikely that the White House would support an Israeli annexation before the duo came to Jerusalem to discuss some outstanding issues.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-highly-unlikely-to-back-july-1-annexation-toi-told-mapping-far-from-done/