Washington – The White House on Friday published a map of Israel at the pre-1967 lines in the latest in a series of mishaps that has marred US President Donald Trump’s first visit to Israel.
The 54 second video called “Photos Abroad” promotes Trump’s five stop trip in eight day. A red line set to upbeat music shows how Trump will travel from Washington to Saudi Arabia and on to Israel.
But the white map, set against a blue background excludes east Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, which are part of sovereign Israel.
It also does not include the West Bank, including Area C, where all the Israeli settlements are. On the flip side the map does not offer an illustration solely for the Palestinian territories nor does it refer to Palestine as a state.
Trump’s visit to the Palestinian territories is listed under Israel, where the video explained Trump will be meeting with the “President of the Palestinian Authority.”
Right-wing Israelis welcomed Trump’s election, hopeful that he would support their vision of broader Israel.
This includes a united Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, retaining the Golan Heights and understanding that Area C of the West Bank would be within Israel’s final borders.
But a number of small incidents in the run up to the trip, have clarified that Trump’s White House is hesitant to make those policy statements.
This includes the White House’s inability to state that the Western Wall is part of Israel when quizzed by reporters at a press briefing in the White House.
To underscore the point the White House will not allow any Israeli officials to accompany Trump when he visited the Western Wall.
Last, administration officials have clarified that while Israel Trump won’t announce that he is moving the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
That issue they have said will only be decided upon once the President returns to Washington.
