Mike Pompeo on Israel's plan to annex West Bank: It's up to them to decide

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, while answering a question from a reporter on Israel's new coalition government that has promised to begin annexing parts of the West Bank on the 1st of July, said that it up to the Israelis to make those decisions. Pompeo in a press conference on April 22 said, "Those are – that’s an Israeli decision, and we will work closely with them to share with them our views of this in a private setting." A new power-sharing government between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz has been formed in Israel following three consecutive elections that ended inconclusively with no party winning a majority in the Knesset. 

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Pompeo praised the power-sharing deal between Prime Minister Netanyahu and former military chief Gantz as he said, "We’re happy with the – a new government’s formed. A fourth election, we think, wouldn’t have been in Israel’s best interest, but we’ll leave that to them. We think it’s not in the world’s best interest. We’re glad that there is a now fully formed government in Israel." President Donald Trump had earlier this year unveiled a Middle East plan that opened doors for the Israeli establishment to annex parts of West Bank that the United Nations say is illegally occupied by Jerusalem. 

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Israel election and deal

Benny Gantz, the leader of Israel's Blue and White party won 15 seats in the recently concluded election of 120 seats strong Knesset. Gantz signed the historic unity government deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose Likud party won 36 seats. The three-year deal to form an emergency government was signed on April 20 and would see Netanyahu as prime minister for one and a half years with Gantz assuming the role for the remaining second half period. Gantz is currently the speaker of the unicameral national legislature of Israel. 

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(Image Credit: AP)