Blue and White chairman MK Benny Gantz took off for Washington early Sunday morning, where he will meet with US President Donald Trump and discuss with him the so-called “Deal of the Century”.
Gantz was joined by Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, former commander of the Israel Air Force, who joined Gantz as a consultant on the plan in recent months and as an envoy on his behalf with American officials.
Gantz is also accompanied on the trip by Dr. Yoram Turbovitz, a member of the strategic team of Blue and White, and Maayan Cohen Israeli, his chief of staff.
Before the departure, Gantz was asked by Kan 11 News whether he would ask Trump to postpone the discussions on the “Deal of the Century” until after the election.
"Good morning. We are going to Washington to meet President Trump. We will hear from him about the plan, we will exchange words with him, but we will leave inside the room what we discuss inside the room," Gantz replied.
Gantz announced on Saturday night that he plans to accept Trump's invitation to visit the White House.
"There is a special, longstanding bond between the United States and Israel, built on shared values and joint interests," Gantz said. "The United States is Israel's closest ally and friend and under President Trump's leadership, the alliance between Israel and the United States has grown stronger, deeper, and more significant than ever."
"Over these last few months, I have held many meetings and discussions on the 'peace plan' with the President's advisers, White House officials, and my friend, [US] Ambassador [to Israel] David Friedman. I value and appreciate their commitment to the State of Israel and its prosperity, as well as their willingness to share, to listen to what was said in these talks regarding Israel's security interests, and its regional and international status.”
"The content of our conversations, just like the details of the plan, will remain secret for now. I can however tell you that the 'peace plan,' devised by President Trump, will go down in history as a meaningful landmark, mapping the way for different players in the Middle East to finally move ahead towards a historic regional agreement,” said Gantz.
"These are fateful times, for both Israel's borders and character, as well as its democratic fabric. Therefore, I have decided to accept the invitation extended to me by President Trump and meet with him, in person, this Monday, as the leader of the largest party in Israel.”