The U.S. administration has called back its Ambassador to Israel David Friedman for urgent negotiations in the White House on the forthcoming Middle East peace plan, also known as "deal of the century."
Friedman had been set to attend the American Jewish Congress Global Forum in Jerusalem on Sunday, however, he canceled his attendance at the last minute and left a recorded greeting for the conference delegates, saying, he is in Washington in consultations on the administration’s evolving peace plan asking them to "wish us luck."
He apologized to the attendees: "I’m sorry I cannot be with you this evening at the conference. By the time you see this greeting, I’ll be in Washington."
The U.S. Embassy in the West Jerusalem confirmed that Friedman had returned to the United States, which led to increased expectations about the date of the announcement of the deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the conflict with the Palestinians, saying that the reason for the impasse in peace negotiations was the consistent Palestinian rejection of the idea of a Jewish state.
"The reason we don’t have peace is not because of the absence of a Palestinian state,” indicated Netanyahu.
"That’s why a hundred years ago, the rejectionist elements in Palestinian society rejected the Balfour Declaration," he added.
"If President Abbas wants to make peace," he warned, "recognize the Jewish state for God’s sake! That will bring peace once and for all."
He called on Palestinians to recognize the Jewish state, invest in peace, and stop paying the terrorists' salaries.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
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