Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said that the proposed annexation of occupied West Bank land was unlikely on Wednesday, the self-imposed deadline set by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In Strongly-Worded Letter, #OcasioCortez, Other #Democrats Lobby #Congress against #Israeli #Annexation (FULL TEXT) https://t.co/6szO1lmVTa via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/erogAe5Lcg
— @palestinechron (@PalestineChron) June 30, 2020
Ashkenazi, a member of the centrist Blue and White party partnered up with Netanyahu’s conservative Likud, told Israel’s Army Radio:
“I don’t know if there will be a declaration of sovereignty today — that should be asked of Netanyahu. It seems unlikely it will happen today.”
“I reckon there will be nothing today, regarding (the extension of Israeli) sovereignty,” Ashkenazi added.
#Netanyahu: #WestBank #Annexation May Happen in ‘Stages’ https://t.co/Ry9sjkvwKW via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/xpVmotf1KZ
— @palestinechron (@PalestineChron) July 1, 2020
In a sign of rifts within the coalition over the timing of any unilateral annexation move, which has been fiercely opposed by the Palestinians and some world powers, Ashkenazi referred further questions on the matter by the interviewer to Netanyahu.
The premier, after meeting US envoys on Tuesday to discuss annexation within the framework of President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan, said such talks would continue for several days – another playing-down of the July 1 start-date.
(Palestine Chronicle, MEMO, Social Media)
