Netanyahu leaves annexation on back burner in talks with Pompeo

May 13, 2020

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrapped up a three-hour meeting in Jerusalem this morning, the day before the swearing-in of Israel’s new government. Greeting Pompeo upon his arrival, Netanyahu set the tone by introducing three main topics on the agenda: the global battle against the novel coronavirus, the Iranian threat and President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan.

“The first thing is the plague. … The second thing is that there’s something else plaguing our region, which is unremitting Iranian aggression and terror. … The third point is that now we’re about to form a national unity government, tomorrow, I am — I think that this is an opportunity to promote peace and security based on the understandings that I reached with President Trump in my last visit in Washington, in January,” said Netanyahu.

Pompeo responded, “We’ll get a chance, too, to talk about the Vision for Peace. We’re now some months on from the day that you came to Washington when President Trump announced that Vision for Peace when you were there. There remains work yet to do, and we need to make progress on that.”

Neither Netanyahu nor Pompeo mentioned Israel’s West Bank annexation plans at the press conference. In a May 12 interview with the right-wing Israel Hayom newspaper, Pompeo refused to say outright whether Israel was being given the nod on West Bank annexation or being told to hold off. The secretary of state insisted, “This is a decision that the Israelis will make. I want to understand how the new leadership, the soon-to-be new government, is thinking about that.” Pompeo said that the issue would surely come up in his meetings in Jerusalem.

Pompeo’s refusal to openly endorse the annexation plan was surely the reason Netanyahu did not mention the issue when speaking to the press. The Israeli prime minister needs American support for the launching of his new government. Insisting annexation now would serve nothing, as Netanyahu can in any case bring such a proposal for a vote no earlier than July 1, as the April 20 unity deal with Blue and White stipulates.