Netanyahu: Israel needs to come to an understanding with US on sovereignty

The settler leaders who meet with him on Wednesday night had hoped to sway him otherwise. They set up a protest tent this week in Jerusalem as part of a campaign on this score.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses supporters at a Likud Party event, February 5, 2020 (photo credit: SHARON REVIVO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses supporters at a Likud Party event, February 5, 2020
(photo credit: SHARON REVIVO)
There is an internal US misunderstanding with regard to sovereignty that must be resolved, so Israel can find common ground with the Trump administration on the issue, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told settler leaders late Wednesday night.
The PMO did not send out any information on the meeting and his words were reported only by the settler leaders, who are pressing him to apply Israeli sovereignty to all of the West Bank settlements prior to the March 2nd election.
“The Prime Minister explained to us the change in the US position on sovereignty as an "internal misunderstanding" within the administration,” Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan said after the meeting. He added that Netanyahu had said, “We have to come to an understanding with the US.”
Dagan reported, “I told him we expect him to apply sovereignty even without coordination with the United States.”
Netanyahu has indicated this week that he plans to adhere to a White House requests that he hold off on sovereignty until the elections. An initial agenda of Sunday’s weekly cabinet meeting, does not include the issue of sovereignty.
The settler leaders who meet with him on Wednesday night had hoped to sway him otherwise. They set up a protest tent this week in Jerusalem as part of a campaign on this score.
Dagan said the meeting lasted for two hours. After the meeting Yesha Council head and Regional Jordan Valley Council head David Elhayani said they had “heard Netanyahu’s” words and had “expressed" their support for him.
The settler leaders asked him to make every effort possible to apply Israeli sovereignty, even before the elections.
Netanyahu agreed to continue to update the Yesha Council on sovereignty efforts in the coming days, Elhayani said.
The Sovereignty Movement is holding a protest march in Jerusalem at 5:30 p.m. in which members will march from the Netanyahu's Jerusalem residence to his office to demand sovereignty now and to state their opposition to any peace plan that calls for the creation of a Palestinian state.
“The government of Israel has the authority to apply sovereignty with a governmental decision independent of any external factors," the Sovereignty Movement said.
“The Prime Minister and the ministers of the Israeli government can enter the annals of history with a Zionist step of leadership that will raise the entire State of Israel to the next level of Zionism, the level of sovereignty”, said the movement co-chairs Yehudit Katsover and Nadia Matar.
“Historical and national rights to the Land of Israel belong only to the People of Israel and this is totally independent of any security matter. You do not make deals on your homeland”.