“I flew back from the US this morning and came away with the impression that the president is determined to jumpstart an active diplomatic process in the Middle East for peace between Israelis and Palestinians," Zionist camp member and opposition leader Isaac Herzog told his faction’s meeting in the Knesset on the morning of May 8.
Herzog said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "will be forced to decide between the historic national exigency and his own narrow interests.” His remarks joined the growing indications in recent weeks that President Donald Trump is preparing a major “surprise” ahead of his May 22 visit to Israel. Herzog, who flew to New York to attend the annual Jerusalem Post conference, got the distinct impression from conversations with administration officials that not only is Trump determined and enthusiastic about sponsoring renewed negotiations on an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, but a concrete move is taking shape behind the scenes.
