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‘Deal of the Century’ takes off, Israeli-US mapping team tours Samaria

“The work will be done as quickly as possible, and we will not stop for anything,” Prime Minister Netanyahu asserted.

By TPS and World Israel News Staff 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Tourism Minister Yariv Levin, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, and the Israeli-American mapping team toured the Ariel area in Samaria on Monday, a preparatory stage toward implementation of President Donald Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ peace plan.

The Israeli-American team is mapping Judea and Samaria ahead of the application of Israeli sovereignty in parts of the region, as stipulated by the U.S. president’s peace plan.

The Israeli team includes Ronen Peretz, acting director-general of the Prime Minister’s Office and Meir Ben-Shabbat, head of the National Security Council.

Aryeh Lightstone, senior adviser to Ambassador Friedman, and Scott Leith, director of Israeli and Palestinian affairs at the U.S. National Security Council, are on the American team.

Netanyahu stated that the mapping of Judea and Samaria “is a major mission. The area has an 800-kilometer perimeter. There is serious work, but we will work as quickly as possible to get it done.”

“For the mapping process, one must consider every valley, every section, every nook and every line; this is serious. We are determining here lines that have historic implications. Therefore, the work will be done as quickly as possible, and we will not stop for anything,” he added.

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Friedman said before the start of the meeting that “in Israel rain is a blessing, and I hope that our efforts should be blessed as much as the rain is coming down right now.”

“We hope to complete it as soon as possible, and complete it the right way for the State of Israel,” said the ambassador.

“In recent weeks, we brought enormous news for the State of Israel and the Land of Israel. My friend, President Trump clearly stated that he would recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley, the northern Dead Sea, and all Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, as well as a broad area encompassing them,” Netanyahu said at an Israeli cabinet meeting on February 16.