The Trump administration is considering ways to make its Middle East peace plan binding on future presidential administrations, according to a report by Israel Hayom Tuesday morning.
In January, President Donald Trump unveiled his plan, titled the “Vision for Peace”, which called for Israeli sovereignty over roughly 30% of Judea and Samaria and negotiations for the establishment of a Palestinian state on the remaining 70%, leaving Israeli towns and cities in the area intact.
Now, less than three months ahead of the 2020 presidential election, the White House is looking into the possibility of making the plan official United States policy, binding on subsequent administrations, according to Tuesday’s report.
The proposal is still in its initial stages, and was recently presented to senior administration officials. It remains unclear how the administration would make the peace plan binding after Trump’s departure from the White House.
One possibility under consideration is to sign a Memorandum of Understanding enshrining the formula of the Trump peace plan as the only solution supported by the US for the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The administration could also sign a letter to Israeli leaders, similar to the document signed by then-President George W. Bush to then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, agreeing that the larger Israeli towns and blocs in Judea and Samaria will not be dismantled in a future final status agreement.
The peace plan, which was accepted by the Israeli government but rejected by the Palestinian Authority. Last week, however, the US announced that Israel and the United Arab Emirates had agreed to a comprehensive peace deal normalizing relations – the first such deal in 26 years.