U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Tuesday that the highly anticipated Trump administration’s peace plan for the Israelis and Palestinians—commonly referred to as the “deal of the century”—is expected to be released after the April 9 Israeli elections.
Addressing via video conference the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Pompeo assured that there is a way forward for Israelis and Palestinians to finally make amends.
This is in spite of a collapse in relations between the United States and the Palestinian Authority since U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital a year ago, in addition to making moves such as relocating the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and closing the Palestine Liberation Organization mission in Washington.
Pompeo said peace talks will not be “driven” by the United States, but by Israelis and Palestinians themselves. Nonetheless, he referenced a U.S.-led timeline after Israelis vote.
Israeli media speculated recently what the peace plan would look like, though they were refuted by White House special envoy Jason Greenblatt, who called the reporting “inaccurate,” saying that “speculation about the content of the plan is not helpful. Very few people on the planet know what is in it.”
Additionally, Pompeo reiterated his claim that the Islamic State is “defeated” in Iraq and Syria, despite attacks from ISIS against American forces last week and on Monday.
