The USA has signalled support for Israel to annex a large slice of the West Bank in summer as long as it is willing to negotiate with the Palestinians over Donald Trump’s peace plan. 

Under the coalition agreement forged between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, Israel would start moving to establish sovereignty over the Jordan Valley in July. 

A US state official, quoted by the Times of Israel, said on Monday, “As we have made consistently clear, we are prepared to recognise Israeli actions to extend Israeli sovereignty and the application of Israeli law to areas of the West Bank that the vision foresees as being part of the state of Israel.” 

In return, Israel would have to agree to talk to the Palestinians on the basis of President Trump’s “vision”. 

The annexation of the Jordan Valley was envisaged in the Trump peace plan, unveiled earlier this year by his son-in-law Jared Kushner. 

The plan has been rejected out of hand by the Palestinians. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains confident of American support, observing on Sunday that President Trump had pledged to recognise Israeli sovereignty over Jewish settlements in the West Bank and over the Jordan Valley.  

“A couple of months from now, I’m confident that that pledge will be honoured, that we will be able to celebrate another historic moment in the history of Zionism,” he said.