The members of the joint US-Israel committee that is to begin mapping areas over with Israel will extend its sovereignty under the Trump administration’s “Deal of the Century” have been appointed, according to a senior Trump administration official who spoke on Saturday with Israel Hayom.
The committee is being tasked with drawing up a map in specific detail of the areas in Judea, Samaria and in the Jordan Valley in which Israel will apply its sovereignty.
Ambassador David Friedman Warns Against Immediate and Unilateral Israeli Annexation
A tentative “conceptual map” was presented by the White House during the unveiling of the Trump Middle East Peace Plan. At the time, President Donald Trump said the map did not reflect specific borders, which which he has said repeatedly would have to be decided by the parties involved and not by the US administration. (This assumes, however, that the Palestinian Authority will at some point actually engage in the process, which the Ramallah government has repeatedly and consistently refused to do.)
President Trump appointed the US members of the committee, who are to include US Ambassador to Israel David M. Friedman, his senior adviser Aryeh Lightstone and National Security Council director for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Scott Leith.
The Israeli appointments to the committee which were announced Friday according to Israel’s Kan public broadcasting network, include Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer, Likud Tourism Minister Yariv Levin and the director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office Ronen Peretz.
Honored to serve on the Joint Committee. Looking forward to getting started right away.https://t.co/5xADYdZXH0
— David M. Friedman (@USAmbIsrael)
“Honored to serve on the Joint Committee,” tweeted Ambassador Friedman. “Looking forward to getting started right away.”