Skip to main content

Who gains if Trump publishes peace plan before Israeli election?

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be pushing for the Trump administration to publish its "deal of the century" ahead of the March elections, the candidate who might gain the most from such a situation is Blue and White leader Benny Gantz.
Benny Gantz, leader of Blue and White party, walks inside a tunnel while touring "The City of David", a Jewish heritage site in the Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan, East Jerusalem January 14, 2020. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RC2RFE9XDZ2W
Read in 

While many people had long concluded that President Donald Trump’s “deal of the century” had died, it came back to life Jan. 13 when voices were heard from Washington hinting at the possibility of its presentation on the eve of the March 2 election for the 23rd Knesset. The silence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in contrast to Blue and White leader Benny Gantz's complaint that such a presentation at that time would constitute meddling in Israel’s internal affairs, caused some to think this had been orchestrated between Netanyahu and Trump. Or perhaps there could be an American green light for the annexation of the Jordan Valley, perhaps a green light for the annexation of all the West Bank settlement lands — at any rate something that could show that only under Netanyahu could Israel get such delicacies from the American administration.

Since hints from the administration regarding an “impending presentation” of the plan have become almost a routine event, we can assume that this time, too, especially since there are only six weeks left until the election, the administration will postpone revealing its plan (assuming that indeed there is such a plan). But even if the American president decides to surprise us, it’s doubtful that it will be the magic pill that would give Netanyahu the majority he didn’t win in the first two rounds of elections in 2019. 

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.