The Israeli Foreign Ministry’s Political Director, Alon Ushpiz, revealed in a secret discussion at the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, that French President Emmanuel Macron intends to present a peace initiative to end the Israeli Palestinian conflict, if the Trump Administration fails to present its peace plan, within the next several weeks. According to the senior Israeli official, the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem is aware of the Paris initiative and the French plan to bypass the so-called “American deal of the Century,” if President Trump withholds his initiative for much longer. Regarding the United States midterm elections scheduled for the 6th of November, the Israeli Foreign Ministry Political Director warned that the expected outcome could weaken Israel’s standing in Washington. According to Ushpiz, Jerusalem believes that the Democratic party will come out ahead in the midterm elections. He explained that while Washington’s strategic goals aim to keep Israel a bipartisan issue, a Democratic majority would undoubtedly have a significant effect on the American support of Jewish state. Regarding the diplomatic crisis with Israel’s Eastern neighbor, Jordan, the Foreign Ministry’s Political Director stressed that the “strategic relationship with Jordan” was vital to Israel security, urging the Knesset Members to view the situation from a “long-term” perspective. The Foreign Ministry said in response that “the report is ridden with errors and inaccuracies,” yet noted that “unfortunately (it) cannot elaborate due to the secret nature of the forum.”
