“The White House reportedly held a key meeting this week to decide on how to deal with Israeli annexation of territories allotted to it in the Trump Peace Plan.

“We have been critics of the plan, believing that by calling for the absorption of all 130 settlements — including the 78 outside the blocs — it makes separation of Israelis and Palestinians and a viable two state outcome nearly impossible. The Trump administration view is different, believing a Palestinian state neither requires territorial contiguity in the West Bank or a border with Jordan — and thus touts its plan as a credible and novel prescription for a two state solution. Indeed, the president in presenting the plan described it as meeting the needs of both sides: the Palestinians will get a state in 70 percent of the West Bank and receive from Israel another roughly 10 percent of equivalent West Bank territory in the Negev next to Gaza. Israel, for its part, will get to absorb 30 percent of the West Bank, including all the settlements and the Jordan Valley…”

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