New Israeli foreign minister: Trump's peace plan is a historic opportunity to draw Israel's future

Israel's new foreign minister said Gabi Ashkenazi, a member of the centrist party, "Kaḥol Lavan" (Blue and White) led by former Gen. Benny Gantz, said that the US president's plan, Donald Trump, the Middle East is a historic opportunity to shape the future of the State of Israel for decades to come.

Ashkenazi said at a ceremony held at the Foreign Ministry building that Trump's plan will be pushed forward "with responsibility in coordination with the United States while preserving peace agreements and strategic interests of Israel," according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The new foreign minister also said that he saw improving relations with Jordan and Egypt as very important, and said, "They are important allies in dealing with challenges in the region."

Ashkenazi took up his new position after the thirty-fifth government of Israel was sworn in on Sunday.

For his part, the Jordanian monarch, King Abdullah II, warned against the consequences of Israel annexing the West Bank lands, and said that this annexation will lead to a major clash between Israel and Jordan.

The U.S. State Department said on Friday that the Trump administration still wants direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as with other regional actors, on the basis of the Middle East peace plan, and spokeswoman Megan Ortagos added that Israeli steps toward annexing the West Bank should be discussed in the context of broader direct peace talks.

In response to King Abdullah II's comments, Megan Ortagos added that the United States appreciates the peace agreement between Israel and Jordan and wants to strengthen relations between the two countries, adding that the administration wants to bring the two parties together to conduct direct negotiations on the basis of its plan.

Trump unveiled his administration's plan in January, and its main points include forming a committee to map out a detailed map as the basis for negotiations, freeze settlement expansion for a four-year period, and Jerusalem will be the capital of Israel.

J.O