Trump's Middle East peace plan nearly ready

Donald Trump's administration was putting the finishing touches on its long-awaited Middle East peace plan and the President is likely to present it soon, officials said.

The administration officials told The New York Times on Sunday that while the exact timing of the plan's release is still not set, the most immediate challenge for the White House was how to roll it out so that it is not proclaimed dead on arrival.

Palestinians remain furious over Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and they have refused White House entreaties to come back to the table.

The administration is considering simply revealing the document in the hopes that it will pressure the Palestinians to return, the officials told the daily.

Trump has vowed to broker an elusive peace deal between the Palestinians and Israelis, reports The Hill magazine.

He entrusted his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner with creating a proposal, despite the latter's lack of previous experience in diplomacy and policy.

The proposal's release would also come at a time of political uncertainty in Israel as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing corruption charges.

--IANS

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