Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo headed to Jerusalem on Tuesday to bolster besieged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and bestow a U.S. blessing on his country's proposed de facto annexation of West Bank land claimed by Palestinians.
The visit coincides with Netanyahu’s formation of a new coalition government following his indictment on criminal corruption charges and several inconclusive Israeli elections that failed to deliver power to either Netanyahu or his rival.
It is the first high-level U.S. visit to Israel since President Trump in January unveiled his long-anticipated plan for settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — a pro-Israel proposal that was roundly rejected by Palestinians, who were not included in its drafting, as well as most of the Arab world.
To avoid what would have been the fourth national election in a little over a year, Netanyahu and his chief rival, retired army Gen. Benny Gantz, agreed to share power for the next several years. The agreement could clear the way for the new government to extend Israeli sovereignty over large parts of the occupied West Bank, which Palestinians want for a future independent state.
Israel seized the land during the 1967 Middle East War and proceeded to build scores of Jewish settlements, now housing hundreds of thousands of Israelis. The settlements are widely considered illegal under international law.
“We’re glad that there is a now fully formed government in Israel,” Pompeo said ahead of the trip. “As for the annexation in the West Bank, the Israelis will ultimately make those decisions.”
