Ahead of Thursday's Likud Party leadership primary, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed, if he wins, he will convince President Donald Trump to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and all West Bank settlements, Axios reported Tuesday.
Facing his first serious challenge from within his party in more than a decade, Netanyahu said in a video, "The same way I got Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty in the Golan Heights and the American statement that the settlements doesn't contradict international law . . . I am going to bring U.S. recognition in our sovereignty in the Jordan Valley and in all the settlements – this is the next stage – and only I can get this."
Netanyahu is running against fellow Likud member Gideon Sa'ar in the primary after the prime minister twice this year failed to form a coalition following indecisive elections, leading to a third national election this coming March.
Sa'ar has attacked Netanyahu for not carrying out his previous promises for annexation and expanding settlements, according to Axios.
Before the past national election in September, Netanyahu said he would annex the Jordan Valley and all the settlements in the West Bank if elected.
After the election, the prime minister gave the impression he had American support for such a move by saying he had talked about his plan with Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, but the State Department denied the issue had been discussed and the White House never confirmed Trump had talked about it with him either.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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