The United States will not “agree” with Israeli annexations in the occupied West Bank for “some time,” and would rather focus on Israelis-UAE normalization and a broader regional peace effort, a White House senior adviser said on Monday.
The United Arab Emirates has said that its move to formalize relations with Israel, announced on Thursday, was paid for following an annexation plan that angered the Palestinians, who want the West Bank as part of a future state, and upset some world powers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suspended the annexation plan – already cited by agreements within his ruling coalition over the proposed timing. But Israeli officials have indicated they want approval from Israel’s main ally – the US.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday announced the agreement to establish diplomatic ties between Israel and the UAE in Jerusalem. [Abir Sultan /Pool via Reuters]
“Israel agrees with us that they will not move forward without our consent. We do not intend to give our consent for a while,” Kushner told reporters in a telephone briefing.
“Right now, the focus should be on, you know, implementing this new peace agreement,” he said.
“We really want as much exchange as possible between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and we want Israel to focus on creating new relations and new alliances.”
The US-UAE-Israel joint statement on the normalization contract said Israel had agreed to “close” the annexation plan.
“What you say as a suspension, we see as stopping,” UAE Secretary of State Anwar Gargash told reporters shortly after the deal was announced.
Israel’s president on Monday invited the de facto UAE leader to visit Jerusalem, praising his role in achieving a “noble and courageous” normalization pact, only the third between Israel and an Arab country in more than 70 years.
SOURCE:
Reuters news agency
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