Israel is concerned President Donald Trump could lose his reelection bid and is conducting a lobbying campaign to convince U.S. officials to support its plan for annexing parts of the West Bank.
According to Axios, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer is lobbying officials in the Trump administration, members of Congress, and even some conservative media in an effort to seek their backing of the annexation proposal. Israel, according to the report, is worried that former Vice President Joe Biden may win the election and oppose the effort.
Dermer's message, reports Axios, is, "Israel has to move on annexation now because we don't know what's going to happen in the elections and Biden might win. We have a window of opportunity now and we need to use it."
Trump is a strong supporter of Israel and has taken several controversial steps during his presidency, including moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week he would like to see his country claim sovereignty of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Jordan River Valley.
"These regions are the cradle of the Jewish people. It is time to extend Israel's law over them," Netanyahu said Sunday. "This step won't bring us further away from peace, it will get us closer. The truth is, and everyone knows it, that the hundreds of thousands of settlers in Judea and Samaria will always stay put in any future deal."
Israel is seeking the Trump administration's support before going ahead with its annexation plan, and the November election is speeding up the process.
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