Israeli officials reject rumoured ‘principles’ of Trump peace plan

Senior Israeli officials rejected so-called “key principles” of a US peace plan for Israel and Palestinians, even as the White House rejected the report, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

According to an Israeli TV report broadcast Saturday night, President Donald Trump’s administration will propose a plan that recognises a Palestinian state, “but will not insist Israel uproot any settlements in the West Bank”, and reportedly also backs “most of Israel’s security demands”.

The report claimed that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is “pushing for Israel to maintain security control over all of the West Bank”. The Likud leader has “told his ministers that Israel could not afford to reject Trump’s peace deal, which would be the best offer the Jewish state would ever get”.

A White House official described the details of the report as “speculative” and “not necessarily accurate”, adding that “a lot of ideas” are being considered. Netanyahu’s office responded Saturday that the TV report is “not accurate”.

Read: Trump expresses doubts that Israel-Palestinian peace deal possible

Meanwhile, “several Israeli ministers and lawmakers made clear they would not abide Israel’s recognition of a Palestinian state”, with Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel pledging to leave the governing coalition over the issue.

According to Ariel, other members of Jewish Home and the ruling Likud party have “made clear that they will not agree to transfer swaths of land to the Palestinian Authority”.

As co-chairs of the Knesset lobby for the Land of Israel, Smotrich and Likud lawmaker Yoav Kisch said that “under no circumstances will we agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state on this side of the Jordan river,” meaning in the West Bank.