The Trump peace plan, officially titled "Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People", was a proposal by the
Trump administration
Donald Trump's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 45th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Donald Trump, his inauguration on January 20, 2017, and ended on January 20, 2021. Trump, a Republican Party ...
to resolve the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is one of the world's most enduring conflicts, beginning in the mid-20th century. Various attempts have been made to resolve the conflict as part of the Israeli–Palestinian peace process, alongside other ef ...
. President
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
formally unveiled the plan in a White House press conference alongside Israeli prime minister
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
on 28 January 2020. The plan had been delayed by two years and previously rejected by the
Palestinians
Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
, who were not invited to the meeting.
The plan was authored by a team led by Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor
Jared Kushner
Jared Corey Kushner (born January 10, 1981) is an American businessman and investor. He served as a senior advisor to 45th U.S. president Donald Trump, his father-in-law. Since leaving the White House, Kushner founded Affinity Partners, a pri ...
.
Both the West Bank settlers'
Yesha Council and the Palestinian leadership rejected the plan, the former because it envisaged a Palestinian state,
and the latter arguing that it was too biased in favor of Israel.
The plan is divided into two parts, an economic portion and a political portion. On 22 June 2019, the Trump administration released the economic portion of the plan, titled "Peace to Prosperity". The political portion was released in late January 2020.
The plan had been characterized as requiring too few concessions from the Israelis and imposing too harsh requirements on the Palestinians. Reactions among congressional Democrats were mixed, and all the
leading Democratic 2020 presidential candidates denounced it as a "smokescreen" for annexation. Proposed benefits to the Palestinians from the plan are contingent on Israel and the United States subsequently agreeing that a list of conditions have been implemented, including total demilitarization, abandonment of international legal action against Israel and the United States and compliance "with all the other terms and conditions" of the 180-page plan. Many of these conditions have been denounced by opponents of the plan as "impossible" or "fantastic."
The plan proposed a series of
Palestinian enclaves surrounded by an enlarged Israel, and rejected a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem proper, proposing instead a Palestinian capital on the outskirts of the city. The proposed areas for the Palestinian capital have been described as "grim neighborhoods" and are separated from Jerusalem proper by the
Israeli West Bank barrier.
Many Israeli settlers have expressed discontent and concern with the plan's security assurances.
During the press conference announcing the plan, Netanyahu announced that the Israeli government would immediately
annex the Jordan Valley and
West Bank settlements while committing not to create new settlements in areas left to the Palestinians for at least four years.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel
The United States ambassador to Israel is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of Israel.
Until 1948 the area that is now the state of Israel had been under British administration as part of the ...
David M. Friedman
David Melech Friedman (born August 8, 1958) is an American bankruptcy lawyer and the former United States Ambassador to Israel. He joined the law firm Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman (then known as Kasowitz, Hoff, Benson & Torres) in 1994, w ...
claimed that the Trump administration had given permission for an immediate annexation, stating that "Israel does not have to wait at all" and "we will recognize it". The Likud spokesman tweeted that Israeli sovereignty over settlements would be declared on the following Sunday. The Trump administration clarified that no such green light for annexation had been given;
[Yossi Verter]
"How Trump's "Deal of the Century' Became the Joke of the Century"
''Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
'' January 31, 2020 Trump later explained that "I got angry and I stopped it because that was really going too far".
Naming
The Trump Peace Plan is called by its proponents "the deal of the century," phrasing used by Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu (; ; born 21 October 1949) is an Israeli politician who served as the ninth prime minister of Israel from 1996 to 1999 and again from 2009 to 2021. He is currently serving as Leader of the Opposition and Chairman of ...
in a joint press conference with Donald Trump announcing the plan. Critics of the proposal were quick to ring changes on the term. The Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas
Mahmoud Abbas ( ar, مَحْمُود عَبَّاس, Maḥmūd ʿAbbās; born 15 November 1935), also known by the kunya Abu Mazen ( ar, أَبُو مَازِن, links=no, ), is the president of the State of Palestine and the Palestinian Natio ...
reacted immediately with a riposte that it was the "slap of the century". The secretary general of the
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; ar, منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية, ') is a Palestinian nationalism, Palestinian nationalist political and militant organization founded in 1964 with the initial purpose of establ ...
Saeb Erekat
Saeb Muhammad Salih Erekat ( ar, صائب محمد صالح عريقات ''Ṣāʼib ʻUrayqāt''; also ''ʻRēqāt, Erikat, Erakat, Arekat''; 28 April 195510 November 2020) was a Palestinian politician and diplomat who was the secretary genera ...
tweeted that it would be known as the "fraud of the century". ''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
'' called it the "steal of the century".
[Deal of the century/Steal of the century: Donald Trump gives Israel the green light to annex occupied lands]
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
28 January 2020 In the aftermath of Israel walking back its initial pledge of "immediate annexation", a ''
Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
'' commentator wrote of the "joke of the century".
Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The
Balfour Declaration
The Balfour Declaration was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917 during the First World War announcing its support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in Palestine, then an Ottoman regio ...
was a public statement issued by the British government in 1917 during the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
announcing support for the establishment of a "national home for the Jewish people" in
Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
, then an
Ottoman region with a small minority
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
population. The proposal was subsequently endorsed by the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
as part of
partitioning of the Ottoman lands. In 1917, Jews constituted less than 8% of the population; by 1947, due mainly to subsequent immigration, they comprised about 33% of the inhabitants, though owning just 7% of the land. That year the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
adopted a
Partition Plan
The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was a proposal by the United Nations, which recommended a partition of Mandatory Palestine at the end of the British Mandate. On 29 November 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted the Plan as Re ...
, which allotted 56% of the land to 30% of the population that was Jewish, although the majority of allocated land was the
Negev
The Negev or Negeb (; he, הַנֶּגֶב, hanNegév; ar, ٱلنَّقَب, an-Naqab) is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its southe ...
desert. The Palestinian leadership and the Arab nations rejected the plan, resulting in the
1947–1949 Palestine war
The 1948 Palestine war was fought in the territory of what had been, at the start of the war, British-ruled Mandatory Palestine. It is known in Israel as the War of Independence ( he, מלחמת העצמאות, ''Milkhemet Ha'Atzma'ut'') and ...
.
[Gelber, Yoav. Jewish-Transjordanian Relations 1921-1948: Alliance of Bars Sinister. Routledge, 2014.] By the war's end, Israel controlled 78% of Mandatory Palestine, and
much of the local Arab populace had either been expelled or fled.
According to the
IDF
IDF or idf may refer to:
Defence forces
* Irish Defence Forces
* Israel Defense Forces
*Iceland Defense Force, of the US Armed Forces, 1951-2006
* Indian Defence Force, a part-time force, 1917
Organizations
* Israeli Diving Federation
* Interac ...
,
[ Nathan Thrall]
"Trump's Middle East Peace Plan Exposes the Ugly Truth"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' January 29, 2020.[Yotam Berger]
"Figures Presented by Army Show More Arabs than Jews Live in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza", ''Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
'' 26 May 2018 Palestinians constitute the majority of the population in the area Israel now controls (Israel, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank).
Both Clinton's and the subsequent Trump plan confine most of that majority to an area less than a quarter of the land.
The West Bank and Gaza, occupied since 1948 by
Jordanian annexation of the West Bank, Jordan and
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, respectively, were captured by Israel during the 1967
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states (primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, S ...
. Shortly after the 1967 war Israel began building settlements in the land, in
violation of international law.
Two states
In 1974, a UN resolution on the "Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine" called for "two States, Israel and Palestine … side by side within secure and recognized borders" together with "a just resolution of the refugee question in conformity with
UN resolution 194".
Following the signing of the
Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords are a pair of agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO): the Oslo I Accord, signed in Washington, D.C., in 1993; in 1993, the Palestinians gained limited autonomy in a scattered mosaic of small areas in the
West Bank
The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
.
There followed a cycle of negotiations, suspension, mediation, restart of negotiations and suspension again. A number of agreements were reached, until the Oslo process ended after the failure of the
Camp David Summit in 2000 and the outbreak of the
Second Intifada
The Second Intifada ( ar, الانتفاضة الثانية, ; he, האינתיפאדה השנייה, ), also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada ( ar, انتفاضة الأقصى, label=none, '), was a major Palestinian uprising against Israel. ...
.
[MEDEA]
''Oslo peace process''
. Retrieved December 2013
United Nations
Section 2 of the plan gives an "Overview of United Nations efforts" and notes that close to 700
UNGA
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
(non-legally binding) and over 100
UNSC (legally binding) resolutions have not brought about peace. The plan says that critical recommendations are disputed both as to their meaning and legal effect and have enabled political leaders to avoid addressing the complexities of the conflict rather than allowing a realistic path to peace. Of these resolutions, Dubuisson says that they have affirmed the Palestinian right to self-determination, that
territory claimed by Palestine is under
belligerent occupation
Military occupation, also known as belligerent occupation or simply occupation, is the effective military control by a ruling power over a territory that is outside of that power's sovereign territory.Eyāl Benveniśtî. The international law ...
, that
Israeli settlements are
illegal
Illegal, or unlawful, typically describes something that is explicitly prohibited by law, or is otherwise forbidden by a state or other governing body.
Illegal may also refer to:
Law
* Violation of law
* Crime, the practice of breaking the ...
and that the
annexation of East Jerusalem was illegal. Dubuisson also stated that Israel is under
an obligation to withdraw from the territories it occupied, that all states in the region have a right to
secure and recognized borders and that Palestinians who became refugees during the conflict have a
right of return
The right of return is a principle in international law which guarantees everyone's right of voluntary return to, or re-entry to, their country of origin or of citizenship. The right of return is part of the broader human rights concept freedom of ...
or to fair compensation.
Section 21 of the plan stipulates that a final agreement will be proposed in a new
UN Security Council resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a United Nations resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council (UNSC); the United Nations (UN) body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peac ...
and a new
United Nations General Assembly resolution
A United Nations General Assembly resolution is a decision or declaration voted on by all member states of the United Nations in the General Assembly.
General Assembly resolutions usually require a simple majority (50 percent of all votes plus o ...
.
Present position
Palestine has been
recognized as a state by 138 UN members, and has had the status of
UN non-member observer state since 2012.
Israel, the United States and most Western countries do not recognize Palestine as a state. The United Nations use the terms "Palestine", "State of Palestine", and "occupied Palestinian territory" (oPt or OPT) interchangeably depending on context. Specifically the term "occupied Palestinian territory" refers as a whole to the geographical area of the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967. References to land or territory refer to land claimed by the State of Palestine. Dubuisson asserts that UN resolutions "establish all the principles that should guide the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" and that the Trump plan does not apply, or even mention, any of these principles deferring instead to Israel's security concerns and the recognition of its "valid legal and historical claims".
[ Nickolay Mladenov, the since 2015, points out the dangers inherent in the current situation stating "There is no Middle East peace process".
]
United States policy changes and development of the plan
Development of the plan began in November 2017, led by Kushner, chief negotiator Jason Greenblatt
Jason Dov Greenblatt (born 1967) is an American lawyer. He was the executive vice president and chief legal officer to Donald Trump and The Trump Organization, and his advisor on Israel. In January 2017, he was appointed as an Assistant to the Pres ...
, deputy national security adviser Dina Powell, and ambassador David Friedman David Friedman may refer to:
Music
* David Friedman (percussionist) (born 1944), American jazz musician
* David Friedman (composer) (born 1950), Broadway and film composer
Film
* David Friedman (actor) (born 1973), American film and TV actor and ...
. Kushner, a property developer married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, had no prior experience of diplomacy, asked the parties not to talk about history, and reportedly never discussed his plan with the Palestinians. According to Peter Beinart of Jewish Currents
''Jewish Currents'' is a progressive, secular Jewish quarterly magazine and news site whose content reflects the politics of the Jewish left. It features independent journalism, breaking news, political commentary, analysis, and a "countercultura ...
, "another key participant in drafting the proposal was David Friedman, who became Trump's ambassador to Israel after representing his bankrupt casinos." He reportedly had close ties to the Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank
The Israeli occupation of the West Bank began on 7 June 1967, when Israeli forces captured and occupied the territory (including East Jerusalem), then occupied by Jordan, during the Six-Day War, and continues to the present day. The status of ...
, compared Jewish American critics of Israel to collaborators with Nazism and was skeptical about the idea that Palestinians should have a state.
In December 2017, following through on a campaign promise and a 1995 U.S. law
The law of the United States comprises many levels of Codification (law), codified and uncodified forms of law, of which the most important is the nation's Constitution of the United States, Constitution, which prescribes the foundation of the ...
, Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. A key member of Trump's team, the Arabist
An Arabist is someone, often but not always from outside the Arab world, who specialises in the study of the Arabic language and culture (usually including Arabic literature).
Origins
Arabists began in medieval Muslim Spain, which lay on the ...
Dina Powell, left the team "on good terms" two days after the announcement. The move was condemned by Arab countries, and Palestinians broke off contacts with the Trump administration, though maintaining intelligence cooperation with the CIA. Trump reacted by ending both bilateral aid for Palestinians and contributions for UNRWA
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 P ...
, citing the PA's refusal to take part in the administration's peace initiative. The United States also shut down the Palestinian diplomatic office in Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
.
In February 2019, Kushner and his personal adviser Berkowitz flew to Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Saudi Arabia in order to unveil their closely guarded plan. Qatari Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Lolwah Al Khater gave no indication that the meeting had provided much detail regarding the political plan. Jason Greenblatt, who played an important role in Trump's 25 March 2019 recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel, was thereafter shunned by the Palestinian authority. In the Palestinian view, Friedman, throughout his two years of engagement, acted as Israel's spokesman, a country he would never criticize, while he would frequently lambast the Palestinian side on his Twitter account.[Raphael Ahren]
"Trump peace plan architect Jason Greenblatt to quit administration"
''The Times of Israel
''The Times of Israel'' is an Israeli multi-language online newspaper that was launched in 2012. It was co-founded by Israeli journalist David Horovitz, who is also the founding editor, and American billionaire investor Seth Klarman. '' December 5, 2019 In April 2019, Greenblatt said that plan does not call for a confederation
A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...
model or for a transfer of land from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai (now usually ) (, , cop, Ⲥⲓⲛⲁ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a l ...
to the Palestinians. When asked in June 2019, Greenblatt said that the Trump plan "will include a resolution to all of the core issues, including the refugee issue, and will also focus on Israel's security concerns". In November 2019, the United States abandoned its four-decade-old position that Jewish settlements in the West Bank were inconsistent with international law.
To sway Trump, whose initial impression in 2017 was that Netanyahu did not want peace, Netanyahu, tried to convince Trump that it was the Palestinians who were hostile to peace, and adopted metaphors related to Trump's interests. The Palestinians wanted to draw the border as close to Tel Aviv as the George Washington Bridge was to the Trump Tower, and an enduring peace was as probable as “a hole-in-one through a brick wall”. According to Israel Kasnett of the Jewish News Syndicate, the U.S. policy changes between 2017 and 2019 are described by "Mideast experts and Israel advocates" as a paradigm shift
A paradigm shift, a concept brought into the common lexicon by the American physicist and philosopher Thomas Kuhn, is a fundamental change in the basic concepts and experimental practices of a scientific discipline. Even though Kuhn restricted t ...
. Jane Kinninmont, writing for ''Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
'', asserts that the "all new" economic peace approach has been tried before and doesn't work. When the plan emerged, Yehuda Shaul
Breaking the Silence (BtS) ( he, שוברים שתיקה, ''Shovrim Shtika''; ar, كسر الصمت, ''Kasr as-Samtt'') is an Israeli non-governmental organization (NGO) established in 2004 by veterans of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It is ...
argued that, far from being an 'unconventional approach' that broke with tradition, the proposals were actually remarkably similar to the details set forth both in the Drobles Plan, written for the World Zionist Organization
The World Zionist Organization ( he, הַהִסְתַּדְּרוּת הַצִּיּוֹנִית הָעוֹלָמִית; ''HaHistadrut HaTzionit Ha'Olamit''), or WZO, is a non-governmental organization that promotes Zionism. It was founded as the ...
, and published over 40 years earlier, in 1979, entitled ''Master Plan for the Development of Settlements in Judea and Samaria, 1979–1983'', and key elements of the earlier Allon Plan.Yehuda Shaul
Breaking the Silence (BtS) ( he, שוברים שתיקה, ''Shovrim Shtika''; ar, كسر الصمت, ''Kasr as-Samtt'') is an Israeli non-governmental organization (NGO) established in 2004 by veterans of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It is ...
br>Trump’s Middle East Peace Plan Isn’t New. It Plagiarized a 40-Year-Old Israeli Initiative,'
Foreign Policy
A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...
11 February 2020 The aim of the Drobles' plan was to ensure Jewish settlement in the Palestinian territories, while blocking the possibility that a Palestinian state could ever emerge.
Former United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
Rex Wayne Tillerson (born March 23, 1952) is an American engineer and energy executive who served as the 69th U.S. secretary of state from February 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018, under President Donald Trump. Prior to joining the Trump administ ...
has said that on May 22, 2017, Benjamin Netanyahu showed Donald Trump a fake and altered video of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas calling for the killing of children. This was at a time when Trump was considering if Israel was the obstacle to peace. Netanyahu had showed Trump the fake video to change his position in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Rolling out the plan
In late June 2019, the "economic plan" was unveiled at a U.S.-led "Peace to Prosperity" conference in Manama
Manama ( ar, المنامة ', Bahrani Arabic, Bahrani pronunciation: ) is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 200,000 people as of 2020. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is h ...
, Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
. The Palestinian leadership boycotted the entire event. According to Bess Levin, writing for '' Vanity Fair'', the whole conference was 'panned by experts', citing one who described it as "the Monty Python
Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show '' Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four ...
sketch of Israeli-Palestinian peace initiatives".[Bess Levin]
"Jared Kushner: Palestinians Have Never Done Anything Right in Their Sad, Pathetic Lives"
'' Vanity Fair'' January 29, 2020
In September 2019, Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt finalized the "political plan", access to which was restricted to only Kushner, Greenblatt, Friedman and Kushner's former employee and aide Avi Berkowitz
Avrahm "Avi" Berkowitz (born November 4, 1988) is an American attorney and political adviser who served as the Assistant to the President and Special Representative for International Negotiations from 2019 to 2021. He was an advisor to Jared Kushn ...
. Greenblatt resigned in September 2019, realizing, according to Martin Indyk
Martin Sean Indyk (born July 1, 1951) is an American diplomat and foreign relations analyst with expertise in the Middle East. He was a distinguished fellow in International Diplomacy and later executive vice president at the Brookings Institution ...
, that the plan had no future. He was replaced by Berkowitz, a young lawyer who worked for Kushner's companies and whom, like Kushner, was raised as an Orthodox Jew with deep ties to Israel.
The economic portion of the plan, consisting of two pamphlets of 40 and 96 pages each that are filled with financial tables and economic projections, was published by the Trump administration on 22 June 2019. It was presented by Kushner during the workshop in Manama
Manama ( ar, المنامة ', Bahrani Arabic, Bahrani pronunciation: ) is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 200,000 people as of 2020. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is h ...
, Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
on June 25–26. The political portion of the plan was rolled out on 28 January 2020. The timing of roll-out showed a contrast between the Trump impeachment trial and the Israeli five weeks from the announcement of the plan. The U.S. government insisted that revealing the plan now was not designed to distract from impeachment, but was rather a reaction to political realities in Israel. Amid intense partisanship, Israel has had three elections in less than a year (April 2019 to March 2020), and may yet have a fourth. Prior to the 2020 Israeli legislative election Israel had the April 2019 Israeli legislative election, with Netanyahu facilitating the formation of the Union of the Right-Wing Parties
The Union of Right-wing Parties (, ''Ihud Miflagot HaYamin'') was a short-lived electoral alliance of right-wing to far-right religious Zionist parties which included The Jewish Home, Otzma Yehudit, and Tkuma. The list was created ahead of th ...
by uniting the Jewish Home party with the far-right
Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
Otzma Yehudit party. Otzma is widely characterized as racist and traces its origins to the extremist Kahanist movement. Immediately prior to the September elections, on 10 September 2019, Netanyahu pledged to annex part of the West Bank
The West Bank ( ar, الضفة الغربية, translit=aḍ-Ḍiffah al-Ġarbiyyah; he, הגדה המערבית, translit=HaGadah HaMaʽaravit, also referred to by some Israelis as ) is a landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
on the border with Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
and promised to apply "Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and northern Dead Sea
The Dead Sea ( he, יַם הַמֶּלַח, ''Yam hamMelaḥ''; ar, اَلْبَحْرُ الْمَيْتُ, ''Āl-Baḥrū l-Maytū''), also known by other names, is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank ...
" if re-elected.
Key concepts and final status issues
The stated purpose of the Trump peace plan is to outline the terms of an agreement, to be signed by both parties, to end the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and clear all claims made by both parties to the conflict. The authors of the proposal envisage that the achievement of such a solution would endow Palestinians with the right of self-governance
__NOTOC__
Self-governance, self-government, or self-rule is the ability of a person or group to exercise all necessary functions of regulation without intervention from an external authority. It may refer to personal conduct or to any form of ...
while denying them any powers that might constitute a threat to Israel. The successful solution will direct flights between the State of Israel and its neighbors. The Trump administration stated that it would break with the worn paradigms of past approaches to the Israeli–Palestinian peace process
The Israeli–Palestinian peace process refers to the intermittent discussions held by various parties and proposals put forward in an attempt to resolve the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Since the 1970s, there has been a parallel ef ...
, removing two core issues[Jane Kinninmont]
"Jared Kushner's 'Paradigm-busting' Mideast Peace Deal Just Won't Work"
''Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
'' 16 June 2019 by implementing two measures in 2017 and 2019, that suggested the United States' redefinition of the parameters for definitively resolving the conflict in large part espoused Israeli positions. These were (1) recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital on 6 December 2017 and (2) on 18 November 2019 stating that Jewish settlements in the West Bank were consistent with international law. As a visible signal of its break with the past, the United States opened its embassy in the building of the U.S. consulate's compound in Jerusalem's southern neighborhood of Arnona
:''Arnona may also refer to Israeli property tax''
Arnona ( he, ארנונה) is an upscale neighborhood in southern Jerusalem, Israel, situated between the neighborhood of Talpiot and Kibbutz Ramat Rachel.
Etymology
The most common explan ...
at the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Israel.
Kushner has likened the plan to the Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide foreign aid to Western Europe. The United States transferred over $13 billion (equivalent of about $ in ) in economic re ...
to rebuild Western European economies after World War II. Fifty billion dollars are envisioned for the PA. The Economic Vision's empowerment by "doing tourism" was perceived as challenged by the Israel and Egypt's 12-year blockade of the Hamas-controlled territory, and 52-year-long occupation of the West Bank.
The Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO; ar, منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية, ') is a Palestinian nationalism, Palestinian nationalist political and militant organization founded in 1964 with the initial purpose of establ ...
(PLO) accused the United States of trying to sell a "mirage of economic prosperity" that would in reality "only perpetuate the Palestinians' captivity". Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh criticized the Arab leaders attending the conference, saying "The (Palestinian) people, who have been fighting for one hundred years, did not commission anyone to concede or to bargain. Jerusalem is ours, the land is ours, and everything is ours." Regarding the controversy over cultural heritage of Palestinian people, Kushner said that critics of the Trump peace plan must "divorce hemselvesfrom all of the history."
The Trump plan was presented as the best option regarding possible future developments by Kushner who stated "The Palestinian leadership have to ask themselves a question: Do they want to have a state? Do they want to have a better life? If they do, we have created a framework for them to have it, and we're going to treat them in a very respectful manner. If they don't, then they're going to screw up another opportunity like they've screwed up every other opportunity that they've ever had in their existence." Kushner said that the peace proposal will not include the phrase "two-state solution
The two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict envisions an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, west of the Jordan River. The boundary between the two states is still subject to dispute and negotiation ...
", saying "If you say 'two-state', it means one thing to the Israelis, it means one thing to the Palestinians. We said, 'You know, let's just not say it. Let's just say, let's work on the details of what this means.'" A top-ranking Saudi diplomat stated that the plan includes a "clear path leading to complete Palestinian independence." Robert Malley
Robert Malley (born 1963) is an American lawyer, political scientist and specialist in conflict resolution, who was the lead negotiator on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). He is currently the U.S. ...
, director of the International Crisis Group
The International Crisis Group (ICG; also known as the Crisis Group) is a transnational non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1995. It is a think tank, used by policymakers and academics, performing research and analysis on global ...
and a leading Middle East expert in former U.S. administrations, stated: "Strip away the domestic and Israeli political considerations that determined the timing of the plan's release, and the message to the Palestinians, boiled down to its essence, is: You've lost, get over it."[David E. Sanger]
"A Deal That Has Two Elections, Rather Than Mideast Peace, as Its Focus"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' January 28, 2020
Israel and the proposed annexation
The plan itself places no conditions on Israel with regard to proposals to "annex parts of the West Bank".["What Trump and Netanyahu just unveiled was a PR campaign, not a peace plan"](_blank)
: "But while the promise of Palestinian statehood is contingent on fantastic conditions, the plan sets no conditions for allowing Israel to annex the Jordan Valley and all Israeli settlements in the West Bank." The Jerusalem Post cited a 26 January letter obtained by them in August 2022, "In exchange for Israel implementing these policies and formally adopting detailed territorial plans not inconsistent with the Conceptual Map attached to my Vision – the United States will recognize Israeli sovereignty in those areas of the West Bank that my vision contemplates as being part of Israel." On 29 January 2020, Prime Minister Netanyahu said he was planning to proceed with annexing 30% of the West Bank at a vote on 1 February 2020. The meeting was never scheduled, as the U.S. message shifted on their position on annexation. On 29 January, the U.S. ambassador to Israel stated that before any annexation of the West Bank or the Jordan Valley took place, the Trump administration "wants to form a joint committee with Israel to discuss the issue" and that "it is impossible to know how long this process will take…we need to ensure the annexation matches the map in our plan." The next day, January 30, Kushner said Washington wants Israel to wait until after its 2 March election before making any moves towards settlement annexation in the West Bank.
On 2 February 2020, Netanyahu's cabinet canceled a meeting to vote on the annexation of 30% of the West Bank after receiving mixed signals from the United States. On 4 February 2020, Israeli settler leader David Elhayani, the chairman of the Yesha Council, said "Kushner took a knife and put it in Netanyahu's back." The settler leader said a senior U.S. official told them that if the Palestinians did not agree to the plan within 48 hours, Israel would be permitted to annex more than 30 percent of the West Bank. Responding to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing on 8 February that his government had begun to draw up maps of land in the occupied West Bank, in accordance with U.S. President Donald Trump's proposed peace plan, Ambassador Friedman indicated that "Any unilateral action in advance of the completion of the committee process endangers the plan and American recognition." On 15 February, the membership of the committee was announced. It includes Friedman, his policy adviser Aryeh Lightstone, and Scott Leith, a National Security Council expert on Israel. Israeli members include Tourism Minister Yariv Levin and Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer
Ron Dermer ( he, רון דרמר, born April 16, 1971) is an United States, American-born Israelis, Israeli political consultant and diplomat serving as the Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs. He previously served as the Israeli Ambassador to ...
. No deadline for the conclusion of deliberations has been set.
Political developments
Following inconclusive Israeli elections, a new emergency unity government agreement was concluded on 20 April between the two alliances led by Netanyahu and Benny Gantz
Benjamin Gantz ( he, בִּנְיָמִין "בֵּנִי" גַּנְץ, Transliterated: ; born 9 June 1959) is an Israeli politician and retired army general serving as the minister of Defense since 2020 and deputy prime minister of Israel sin ...
, the "Likud bloc" and the "Blue and White bloc", respectively. The agreement included clauses in respect of the contemplated annex of the West Bank:
# The U.S. must give its full agreement.
# Netanyahu and Gantz must engage the international community.
# After 1 July 2020, Netanyahu can bring the plan up for discussion in the Cabinet and/or for a vote in the Knesset
Axios cite a "senior U.S. official" as saying that any Israeli annexations must come "in the context of an offer to the Palestinians to achieve statehood based upon specific terms, conditions, territorial dimensions and generous economic support." and that "We are prepared to recognize Israeli actions to extend Israeli sovereignty over areas of the West Bank in the context of the Government of Israel agreeing to negotiate with the Palestinians along the lines set forth in President Trump's vision."
On April 30, reacting to the agreement, representatives of the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Finland and the EU envoy registered a formal protest. The envoys also demanded a freeze on government plans to allow construction in the Givat Hamatos neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
On 18 May 2020, the EU issued a statement congratulating the new Israeli government but which noted "with grave concern the provision—to be submitted for approval by the Israeli cabinet—on the annexation of parts of occupied Palestinian territories, as stated by the Prime Minister when presenting his government to the Knesset on 17 May and as envisaged in the coalition agreement signed earlier. We strongly urge Israel to refrain from any unilateral decision that would lead to the annexation of any occupied Palestinian territory and would be, as such, contrary to International Law."
At a video meeting of the United Nations Security Council on 20 May 2020, UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov said that Israel must abandon its threat to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, saying such a plan would be a serious violation of international law that would "close the door to a renewal of negotiations." European Union representatives expressed concern about the intent of the new Israeli government to annex parts of the West Bank and the Jordan Valley, saying it would be a violation of international law while Danny Danon, for Israel, said that "Any decision on the topic of sovereignty will be made solely by the Israeli government with coordination with the American administration."
At a press conference on 9 June 2020, Mohammed Shtayyeh, the Palestinian prime minister, said "We submitted a counter-proposal to the Quartet a few days ago," which proposed the creation of a "sovereign Palestinian state, independent and demilitarised", with "minor modifications of borders where necessary", as well as exchanges of land equal "in size and volume and in value—one to one".
At a video meeting of the United Nations Security Council on 24 June 2020 UN secretary general
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of the Un ...
, António Guterres
António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres ( , ; born 30 April 1949) is a Portuguese politician and diplomat. Since 2017, he has served as secretary-general of the United Nations, the ninth person to hold this title. A member of the Portuguese Socia ...
, called on the Israeli government "to abandon its annexation plans" describing the proposed annex as a "watershed moment" that will constitute a "most serious violation of international law" that if implemented would "grievously harm the prospect of a two-state solution and undercut the possibilities of a renewal of negotiations". The call was reiterated by seven European nations (Belgium, Britain, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland and Norway) in a joint statement warning that annexation would "severely undermine" prospects for resuming the Middle East peace process and that "Under international law, annexation would have consequences for our close relationship with Israel and would not be recognized by us,". Subsequently, repeating his call, Guterres announced that the UN is still unable to convene the Middle East Quartet to discuss the potential annex. For its part the Trump administration are in discussions about the planned annex without reaching any conclusion. U.S. lawmakers are split on party lines with more than 185 House Democrats signing a letter opposing annexation.
On June 29, 2020, it was revealed that Netanyahu's coalition partner Benny Gantz
Benjamin Gantz ( he, בִּנְיָמִין "בֵּנִי" גַּנְץ, Transliterated: ; born 9 June 1959) is an Israeli politician and retired army general serving as the minister of Defense since 2020 and deputy prime minister of Israel sin ...
would not accept the proposed July 1, 2020 deadline to start annexing the West Bank.[Peter Beaumont and Rosie Scammell]
Netanyahu's annexation plan in disarray as Gantz calls for delay
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
29 June 2020 Gantz also announced that he would prefer that the Israeli government deal with the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
first. Despite not serving as Prime Minister, it was reported that Gantz's objection cast doubt on when a new deadline could be set. The same day, U.S. sources confirmed that West Bank annexation would not start by the planned July 1 deadline as well.
Palestinian statehood
The plan puts the Palestinians on probation, establishing a set of conditions they must meet and adopting Netanyahu's view that a shrunken Palestinian entity will be a state in name only; Israel will control of its borders, air space, electro-magnetic spectrum, foreign policy and security;[Middle East Peace Plan Is Donald Trump’s Ultimate Deal Fantasy,’](_blank)
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) is a nonpartisan international affairs think tank headquartered in Washington D.C. with operations in Europe, South and East Asia, and the Middle East as well as the United States. Founded in ...
3 February 2020. it proposes a State of Palestine with a capital on the outskirts of East Jerusalem which will not be established up to four years into the execution of the plan. The plan would be conditional on Palestinians taking steps to become self-governing. However, the sovereignty the State of Palestine would possess is disputed. Many argue the Trump plan creates a Palestinian state with only limited sovereignty, while others argue the state would not have even limited sovereignty. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said the proposal gives Palestinians a chance to achieve "conditional, limited sovereignty". ''The Jerusalem Post
''The Jerusalem Post'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Jerusalem Post''. In 2004, the paper w ...
'' argues sovereignty of Palestine would be limited as Israel would retain full security control. Israel would also control Palestine's borders and airspace. The Palestinians must:
# Disarm the governing authority of the Gaza Strip, Hamas
Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Bri ...
, together with Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine and all Palestinians under their authority;
# Recognize Israel as a Jewish State;
# Refrain from any attempt to join any international organization without the consent of the State of Israel;
# Take no action, and shall dismiss all pending actions, against the State of Israel, the United States and any of their citizens before the International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court (ICC or ICCt) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals ...
, the International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...
, and all other tribunals;
# Take no action against any Israeli or United States citizen before Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
or any non-Israeli or United States (as applicable) legal system;
# Immediately terminate the paying of "prisoner & martyr payments" (defined as salaries to the families of terrorists serving sentences in Israeli prisons, as well as to the families of deceased terrorists). Jonathan Cook
Jonathan Cook (born 1965) is a British writer and a freelance journalist based in Nazareth, Israel, who writes about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He writes a regular column for '' The National'' of Abu Dhabi and Middle East Eye.
Backgro ...
states that this part of the plan would require the Palestinian Authority to strip "welfare payments" for "the families of political prisoners and martyrs killed by the Israeli army" and to develop humanitarian and welfare programs to provide essential services and support to Palestinians in need that are not based upon the commission of terrorist acts. The stated goal is have the Palestinian Authority pass laws regarding militants who have been convicted by Israeli courts of a charge of 'terrorism' in a way that will make those laws consistent with the laws of the United States.
After these and every other step laid out by the Trump plan have been taken successfully, the plan would reach its final stage, consisting in the recognition of the State of Palestine, an entity so defined that Aaron David Miller
Aaron David Miller is an American Middle East analyst, author, and negotiator. He is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, focusing on U.S. foreign policy. He previously was vice president for new initiatives at the W ...
calls it a 'faux state'. Israel and the United States stated that the following conditions (see: § Recognition Criteria) "must be determined to have occurred by the State of Israel and the United States, jointly". On 29 January 2020, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Jerusalem was "not for sale; All our rights are not for sale and are not for bargain." Hamas rejected the deal on the grounds that it aspired to "liquidate the Palestinian national project." Thousands of Palestinian protesters held a "day of rage" in the Gaza Strip. On 1 February 2020, Reuters (Cairo) reported that President Trump requested to speak to Abbas by phone but Abbas said no, and that President Trump wanted to send him a letter...but Abbas refused it. The Palestinian Authority subsequently declared the cutting all ties with the United States and Israel including security relations, although this never took place. On 3 February 2020, lead Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said "What is left to negotiate? When I said these issues must be negotiated between us and Israel directly, Kushner responded by calling me a failed negotiator, unable to negotiate. He negotiated on my behalf because he knows better than I do what is best for me. This is the art of dictation, arrogance, and blackmail."
Recognition criteria
The Trump plan sets forth criteria that Palestinians must meet before a Palestinian state is allowed to form. Whether Palestinians have met this criteria will be determined by Israel and the United States. If at any time Israel decides the Palestinians are not meeting the criteria, the Trump plan gives Israel the right to retake military control. According to U.S. diplomat Ilan Goldenburg, this would allow Israel to determine when to end the occupation.
The criteria are:
*The Palestinians shall have implemented a governing system with a constitution or another system for establishing the rule of law that provides for freedom of press, free and fair elections, respect for human rights for its citizens, protections for religious freedom and for religious minorities to observe their faith, uniform and fair enforcement of law and contractual rights, due process under law, and an independent judiciary with appropriate legal consequences and punishment established for violations of the law.
*The Palestinians shall have established transparent, independent, and credit-worthy financial institutions capable of engaging in international market transactions in the same manner as financial institutions of western democracies with appropriate governance to prevent corruption and ensure the proper use of such funds, and a legal system to protect investments and to address market-based commercial expectations. The State of Palestine should meet the independent objective criteria to join the International Monetary Fund.
*The Palestinians shall have ended all programs, including school curricula and textbooks, that serve to incite or promote hatred or antagonism towards its neighbors, or which compensate or incentivize criminal or violent activity.
*The Palestinians shall have achieved civilian and law enforcement control over all of its territory and demilitarized its population.
*The Palestinians shall have complied with all the other terms and conditions of this Vision.
Status of borders and territory
The plan recognizes Palestinian rights to roughly 70% of the West Bank. The plan called for land swaps, but dismissed the idea of "1-to-1 land swaps", arguing Palestinians would not receive 100 percent of pre-1967 territory, but provided for territory that would be "reasonably comparable" to pre-1967 territory. In exchange for Israel annexing parts of the West Bank, the plan raises the possibility of stripping the 350,000 Israeli Arab
The Arab citizens of Israel are the largest ethnic minority in the country. They comprise a hybrid community of Israeli citizens with a heritage of Palestinian citizenship, mixed religions (Muslim, Christian or Druze), bilingual in Arabic an ...
citizens of 10 towns in the Israel Triangle zone, such as Tayibe, Kafr Qasim and Qalansawe, of their Israeli citizenship by transferring their area to a future state of Palestine. Palestinians would be given parts of the Negev Desert
The Negev or Negeb (; he, הַנֶּגֶב, hanNegév; ar, ٱلنَّقَب, an-Naqab) is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its southe ...
, connected through small land corridors to Gaza.[Robin Wright]
Trump Unveils the “Giveaway of the Century” on Middle East Peace
"Trump Unveils the 'Giveaway of the Century' on Middle East Peace''] ''The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' January 29, 2020 The Trump plan gives Palestinians less territory than previous proposals.
The plan recognizes an Israeli right to the entire Jordan Valley. Israel regards the valley as militarily strategic. Palestinians regard the valley as important for agriculture. The valley also allows Palestinians access to the River Jordan, which irrigates 80,000 hectares of agricultural land in the West Bank; giving Israel the valley would allow it to divert that water for its own use. According to Saree Makdisi
Saree Makdisi (born 1964) is an American literary critic and professor; specializing in eighteenth and nineteenth century British literature. He is of Palestinian and Lebanese descent. He also writes on contemporary Arab politics and culture. M ...
, the plan would not allow Palestine to control its water resources.
Within the West Bank, approximately 97% of Palestinians would be incorporated into contiguous Palestinian territory and 97% of Israelis into contiguous Israeli territory.
On 3 February 2020, Trump plan raised the possibility that 11 Arab border towns, part of Israel's 21% Arab minority, become relocated oved toa future Palestinian state. Residents fear losing their ties to the land. When asked, David Friedman denied that Arab residents in Israel would lose citizenship.
The implementation of the plan is conditional, being subject to the "Gaza Criteria" and would only proceed if the governance of the Gaza Strip, at present administered by Hamas, were transferred back either to the Palestinian Authority or another Palestinian entity Israel approves of. The technical feasibility of such a transformation of Gaza governance is not clear.[Jonah Shepp]
'Trump’s Mideast Peace Plan: Intimidate the Palestinians Into Surrender,'
Intelligencer 26 January 2018:'How exactly the Palestinian Authority is supposed to regain security control of Gaza and drive Hamas entirely out of the Palestinian political arena is not clear. Eldar strongly suspects that the impossibility of these tasks is a feature, not a bug, calling them “preventive measures to scuttle any U.S. initiative” toward peace.' According to these conditions, Hamas, the PIJ, and all other militias and organizations in Gaza which Israel classifies as "terrorist" would have to be disarmed. Gaza would be fully demilitarized. Hamas itself would be required to commit itself to making peace with the State of Israel by adopting the Quartet Principles
The Quartet Principles are the set of three requirements laid out by the Quartet on the Middle East for the diplomatic recognition of a Palestinian government. The Quartet is a diplomatic entity that is composed of the United Nations, European Unio ...
, which include unambiguously and explicitly recognizing the State of Israel, committing to nonviolence, and accepting previous agreements and obligations between the parties.
Defense and border regime
The State of Palestine shall be fully demilitarized and remain as so.
The State of Israel will be responsible for security at all international crossings into the State of Palestine. The State of Israel will continue to maintain control over the airspace and the electromagnetic spectrum, the Israeli Navy will have the right to block prohibited weapons and weapon-making materials from entering the State of Palestine.
The State of Palestine will not have the right to forge intelligence or security agreements with any state or organization that adversely affect the State of Israel's security, as determined by the State of Israel.
Status of Jerusalem, Palestinian capital and Holy Sites
The plan affirms Israel has a right to the entirety of "undivided Jerusalem", recognizing it as Israel's capital.
The plan does accept a Palestinian capital for a future State of Palestine to be located outside, and east and north of, the Israeli West Bank barrier, in that part of East Jerusalem
East Jerusalem (, ; , ) is the sector of Jerusalem that was held by Jordan during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, as opposed to the western sector of the city, West Jerusalem, which was held by Israel.
Jerusalem was envisaged as a separat ...
encompassing Kafr 'Aqab, and the eastern refugee camp of Shuafat and Abu Dis
Abu Dis or Abu Deis ( ar, أبو ديس) is a Palestinian village in the West Bank, in the Jerusalem Governorate of the State of Palestine, bordering Jerusalem. Since the 1995 Oslo II Accord, Abu Dis land has been mostly part of "Area B", under I ...
.[Michael Crowley, David M. Halbfinger]
"Trump Releases Mideast Peace Plan That Strongly Favors Israel"
, ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' January 29, 2020. Martin Indyk
Martin Sean Indyk (born July 1, 1951) is an American diplomat and foreign relations analyst with expertise in the Middle East. He was a distinguished fellow in International Diplomacy and later executive vice president at the Brookings Institution ...
described the Palestinian portion as "only a sliver of East Jerusalem". It would bear whatever name Palestinians decide to call it, perhaps al Quds. According to Dubuisson, designating such a site as Jerusalem involves a 'semantic game',[François Dubuisson]
"Trump 'Plan' would create a fictitious Palestinian state devoid of rights under international law"
'' Mondoweiss'' January 31, 2020 a fragmented entity across several neighborhoods that are miles apart from each other, separated by Israeli communities and major roads, and share little in common.[Dalia Hatuq]
"Trump's Peace Plan Is Palestinians' Worst Nightmare"
''Foreign Policy
A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...
'' January 31, 2020 Abu Dis is variously described as a 'decrepit, lawless enclave' or a grim neighbourhood, with 'a single main street and higgledy-piggledy alleys shooting off at strange angles' abutting a hulking concrete separation barrier, on the other side of which lies Jerusalem and its distant Holy Sites. Shuafat refugee camp has been described as a 'gang-ridden slum'.Isabel Kershner
Isabel Kershner is a British-born Israeli journalist and author, who began reporting from Jerusalem for ''The New York Times'' in 2007. Kershner had previously worked as senior Middle East editor for ''The Jerusalem Report'' magazine. She has al ...
, David M. Halbfinger
"Capital in Trump Mideast Plan Makes 'a Joke' of Palestinian Aspirations"
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' January 31, 2020
The plan puts the Haram al Sharif
The Temple Mount ( hbo, הַר הַבַּיִת, translit=Har haBayīt, label=Hebrew, lit=Mount of the House f the Holy}), also known as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, lit. 'The Noble Sanctuary'), al-Aqsa Mosque compoun ...
/Temple Mount
The Temple Mount ( hbo, הַר הַבַּיִת, translit=Har haBayīt, label=Hebrew, lit=Mount of the House f the Holy}), also known as al-Ḥaram al-Sharīf (Arabic: الحرم الشريف, lit. 'The Noble Sanctuary'), al-Aqsa Mosque compoun ...
, including Al-Aqsa mosque
Al-Aqsa Mosque (, ), also known as Jami' Al-Aqsa () or as the Qibli Mosque ( ar, المصلى القبلي, translit=al-Muṣallā al-Qiblī, label=none), and also is a congregational mosque located in the Old City of Jerusalem. It is situa ...
, under Israeli sovereignty. While in one part it states that the status quo
is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. W ...
there will be maintained, elsewhere it appears to envisage major changes to the status quo by permitting non-Muslims, including Jews and Christians, to pray there. That would break with the status quo, one which Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed in 2015.['Settlement Report [The Trump Plan Edition],']
oundation for Middle East Peace 31January 2020. The plan rejects Palestinian claims to ''Haram al-Sharif'', instead keeping it under Jordanian custodianship. The plans gives Israel the task of safeguarding the Holy Sites and guaranteeing freedom of worship.
In February 2020, it was announced that the land Trump's plan slates in Atarot for a special world-class tourist zone in the future Palestinian state for Muslim tourists to Jerusalem would be earmarked for a new Israeli settlement spanning 310 acres—all of the remaining land between the West Bank Barrier and Atarot's Industrial zone—with a projected 6,000 to 9,000 housing units. Private individuals owning parts of the area are predominantly Palestinians, but the plan seemingly foresees relocating areas without seeking the owners' consent. It would be the first Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem since 1991, when Har Homa
Har Homa ( he, הר חומה, lit ''Wall Mountain''), officially Homat Shmuel, is an Israeli settlement in southern East Jerusalem, near the Palestinian city of Beit Sahour. The settlement is also referred to as "Jabal Abu Ghneim" (also "J ...
was established.
Status of refugees
Under the Trump plan, there would be no right of return
The right of return is a principle in international law which guarantees everyone's right of voluntary return to, or re-entry to, their country of origin or of citizenship. The right of return is part of the broader human rights concept freedom of ...
for Palestinian refugees from the wars of 1948 and 1967 into Israel.[Robin Wright]
Trump Unveils the “Giveaway of the Century” on Middle East Peace
New Yorker 29 January 2020:'According to Ilan Goldenberg, . .(r)efugees who fled the wars in 1948 and 1967 would be granted some form of compensation, “wrapped in very condescending language,” but not even a symbolic number would be allowed to return.' The return of any Palestinian refugees would be subject to Israel's giving its approval. Were the deal signed, the assistance of UNRWA
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a UN agency that supports the relief and human development of Palestinian refugees. UNRWA's mandate encompasses Palestinians displaced by the 1948 P ...
to the Palestinian population would be terminated.
In the two decades that followed Israel's founding, some 800,000 Jews left the Arab World (300,000 in the very first few years), many as the result of hostilities and persecution; the majority of these immigrated to Israel. Some view the Jewish exodus from Arab and Muslim countries
The Jewish exodus from the Muslim world was the departure, flight, expulsion, evacuation and migration of around 900,000 Jews from Arab countries and Iran, mainly from 1948 to the early 1970s, though with one final exodus from Iran in 1979– ...
as analogous to the 1948 Palestinian exodus
In 1948 Estimates of the Palestinian Refugee flight of 1948, more than 700,000 Palestinians, Palestinian Arabs – about half of prewar Mandatory Palestine, Palestine's Arab population – Causes of the 1948 Palestinian exodus, were expelled ...
, emphasizing "push factors" like discrimination and violence, while other emphasize "pull factors" and consider them willing immigrants.
Economy
The plan proposes a $50 billion investment fund for 179 infrastructure and business projects, to be administered by a "multilateral development bank", with investments protected by "accountability, transparency, anti-corruption, and conditionality safeguards." The administration envisions the plan being funded mostly by Arab states and wealthy private investors. Spending is divided into $26 billion in loans, $13.5 billion in grants, and $11 billion in private investment.
The majority of the $50 billion would be spent in the West Bank and Gaza, with $9 billion to be spent in Egypt, $7 billion in Jordan, and $6.3 billion in Lebanon. The proposal includes a number of specific projects, including construction of a travel corridor that would cross Israel to link the West Bank and Gaza with a highway and possibly a rail line, vast expansion of border crossings, power plant upgrades, infrastructure improvements to boost tourism, career counseling and job placement service, re-building and modernizing Palestinian hospitals and health clinics, upgrading cargo terminals and building special access roads to reduce the time and costs of cross-border trade and travel, creation of a modern database to register land ownership, improving the potable water supply and waste water treatment, and establishing a new Palestinian university in the global top 150.
The plan advocates a free market including greater protection of property rights and a "pro-growth tax structure".
The plan's stated goals include creating more than a million jobs, more than doubling the Palestinian GDP, and cutting the poverty rate by 50%. It also aims to bring down the unemployment from 31% down to single digits, and to increase Palestinian exports as a percentage of GDP from 17% to 40%. The plan also aims to increase female labor force participation rate from 20% to 35%, reduce infant mortality from 18 to 9 per 1,000 births, and increase average life expectancy from 74 to 80 years.
Anti-terrorism apparatus
The State of Palestine's security criteria has to be acceptable to the State of Israel; not (less) stringent than the metrics used by either Jordan or Egypt (whichever is stricter) with respect shall be obeyed. The State of Palestine's counterterrorism system must encompass all elements of counterterrorism.
Status of prisoners
Israel would undertake to release Palestinian prisoners and detainees held under administrative detention
Administrative detention is arrest and detention of individuals by the state without trial. A number of jurisdictions claim that it is done for security reasons. Many countries claim to use administrative detention as a means to combat terrorism ...
in Israeli prisons. The proposal states that all released prisoners would assume citizenship in a future State of Palestine. At the same time, Israel states that it would not release prisoners falling in any one of the following categories:
# Those convicted of murder or attempted murder in Israeli courts.
# Those convicted of conspiracy to commit murder ("terrorists"), according to Israeli courts.
# Anyone classified under 1 and 2, who may happen to hold Israeli citizenship.
Developments at the United Nations
* reaffirmed its commitment to a two-state solution
The two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict envisions an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel, west of the Jordan River. The boundary between the two states is still subject to dispute and negotiation ...
based on the boundaries pre-existing the 1967 Six-Day War
The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states (primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, S ...
.["Trump Middle East plan: Palestinians reject 'conspiracy'"](_blank)
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
January 29, 2020 The UN secretary general
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the United Nations System#Six principal organs, six principal organs of the Un ...
, António Guterres
António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres ( , ; born 30 April 1949) is a Portuguese politician and diplomat. Since 2017, he has served as secretary-general of the United Nations, the ninth person to hold this title. A member of the Portuguese Socia ...
, stated the only plan he could accept was one that respected UN resolutions and international law.[Oliver Holmes]
'Netanyahu backtracks on Israeli plan for swift Palestinian land grab,'
''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', 5 February 2020 On 6 February, Kushner gave a closed doors briefing on the proposals to UNSC envoys and followed up with a briefing to journalists afterwards. Abbas attended the UN on 11 February to try to get support for a resolution being circulated condemning the proposed annexation; reportedly lacking votes, Abbas pulled the request. Any such resolution was nevertheless expected to attract a U.S. veto. On February 10, Palestine withdrew their request for a vote. The United States had proposed a series of amendments to the draft resolution that could come for a vote at the session attended by Abbas. In proposals seen by AFP, the United States would significantly alter the text to remove references to 1967 lines being the basis of peace, cut out a line stating that Jewish settlements built in the West Bank since 1967 are illegal and eliminate language that equated East Jerusalem with the occupied West Bank. ''Haaretz'' confirmed that the plan would be discussed at the security council session (unusually being opened by the Secretary-General) and that there would be no vote on the draft resolution. The Palestinians have denied that the resolution has been withdrawn, that the draft resolution is still being circulated and discussed and that the resolution has not yet been put in "blue" (the final form for a vote).
*After the security council meeting, the resolution remains in the pipeline according to Indonesia, one of its sponsors. Abbas' criticisms (he described the proposed state as "Swiss cheese") were echoed by most members of the Council while Abbas proposal for an international peace conference drew some support as many members seemed to agree that the parties should use this moment to restart negotiations but the next steps remain unclear.
*At a Security Council held by videoconference on 30 March 2020, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov said that West Bank annexation would make it impossible to renew Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and would destroy any possibility of a two-state resolution to the conflict and dismissed any peace plan that does not comply with past international understandings that a two-state resolution to the conflict must be based on the pre-1967 lines.
*Following the signing of a governing coalition agreement in Israel that includes a clause to advance plans to annex parts of the West Bank, including Israeli settlements, starting 1 July, Nickolay Mladenov, briefing the UNSC on 23 April, said that annexation would "constitute a serious violation of international law, deal a devastating blow to the two-state solution, close the door to a renewal of negotiations, and threaten efforts to advance regional peace."
International reactions
Countries
* 's foreign ministry said in a statement "Bahrain supports all efforts toward achieving a just and comprehensive solution on the Palestinian issue," and thanked the United States for its work.
* 's Foreign ministry said that United Nations resolutions, the two-state solution, the principle of land for peace and other internationally backed measures form the basis for resolving the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
* 's Foreign Ministry issued a statement that Egypt recognizes the importance of considering the U.S. administration's initiative from the perspective of the importance of achieving the resolution of the Palestinian issue, thus restoring to the Palestinian people their full legitimate rights through the establishment of a sovereign independent state in the Palestinian occupied territories in accordance with international legitimacy and resolutions and that "Egypt calls on the two relevant parties to undertake a careful and thorough consideration of the U.S. vision to achieve peace and open channels of dialogue, under U.S. auspices, for the resumption of negotiations."
* 's Foreign Ministry initially said in a statement "France welcomes President Trump's efforts and will study closely the peace programme he has presented." On 30 January, President Macron said "I believe in two sovereignties" when asked by ''Le Figaro
''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of reco ...
'' newspaper whether he believed in two states and suggested the plan could struggle to get off the ground; he said "You need to be two to make peace. You can't get there with just one side."
* 's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif
Mohammad Javad Zarif Khansari ( fa, محمدجواد ظریف خوانساری, Mohammad-Javād Zarīf Khānsāri ; ; born 8 January 1960) is an Iranian career diplomat and academic. He was the foreign minister of Iran from 2013 until 2021 in th ...
said that the "so-called 'Vision for Peace' is simply the dream project of a bankruptcy-ridden real estate developer", and referred to it as a "nightmare for the region and the world".
* expressed open opposition to the plan:[Zvi Bar'el]
"Trump's 'al-Aqua Mosque' Plan Leaves Palestinians With Nothing More to Lose"
''Haaretz
''Haaretz'' ( , originally ''Ḥadshot Haaretz'' – , ) is an Israeli newspaper. It was founded in 1918, making it the longest running newspaper currently in print in Israel, and is now published in both Hebrew and English in the Berliner f ...
'' January 30, 2020 its Foreign Ministry said that the only path to a comprehensive and lasting Middle East peace was the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on land captured by Israel in a 1967 war, and with East Jerusalem as its capital. On 3 March 2020, Jordan's Prime Minister said about the plan "Is the world willing to accept this? Do we realize where we're pushing Israel, Palestine, the region and the world?" and warned that Jordan's peace treaty with Israel was potentially at risk.
* 's parliament had decided to boycott the Bahrain conference, the only Gulf state to do so. In response, Kuwait's Foreign Minister stated that "... we accept what our Palestinian brothers accept." The Kuwaiti government appointed its first ambassador to Palestine shortly thereafter. After the announcement of the complete plan, the foreign ministry showed appreciation towards U.S. efforts for peace, but added that a complete and fair solution is only possible if it follows international community terms and decisions, mainly "... an independent and sovereign state on the June 4, 1967 border with its capital in East Jerusalem."
* 's Foreign Ministry stated that Morocco "appreciates" the U.S. plan, adding that acceptance by the parties is "fundamental to the implementation and sustainability of the plan".
* 's Foreign Ministry stated that 'Qatar affirms its readiness to provide the required support for any endeavors within these foundations to resolve the Palestinian issue. ... Peace cannot be sustainable unless the rights of the Palestinian people to establish an independent and sovereign state on the 1967 borders, including East Jerusalem, and to return to their lands are safeguarded.'
* : In an initial official response, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov raised doubts about the plan noting "It's plain enough that some of this plan's provisions do not fully correspond to the relevant resolutions by the UN Security Council" and noting the opposition of the Palestinians and Arab states.
* 's Foreign Ministry said in a statement, "The Kingdom appreciate the efforts of President Trump's Administration to develop a comprehensive peace plan between the Palestinian and Israeli sides; and encourages the start of direct peace negotiation between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, under the auspices of the United States." King Salman has repeatedly stated Saudi Arabia will not support any settlement that fails to create an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.Martin Indyk
Martin Sean Indyk (born July 1, 1951) is an American diplomat and foreign relations analyst with expertise in the Middle East. He was a distinguished fellow in International Diplomacy and later executive vice president at the Brookings Institution ...
'Disaster in the Desert: Why Trump's Middle East Plan Can't Work,'
''Foreign Policy
A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...
'' November–December 2019
* 's Foreign Ministry criticized the plan and said it was aimed at "stealing Palestinian lands".
* : The ambassador issued a statement that the plan offers an important starting point for a return to negotiations within a U.S.-led international framework.
* : Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab
Dominic Rennie Raab (; born 25 February 1974) is a British politician who has served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Secretary of State for Justice, and Lord Chancellor since October 2022, having previously served from 2021 to ...
initially issued a statement cautiously welcoming the release of U.S. proposals for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Subsequently, on 31 January, Raab, in response to talk of annexation, warned against any unilateral moves.
Supranational organizations
*: On 1 February, the Arab League issued a unanimous rejection of the plan. In a joint communique, officials from the 22 member states said the deal would not lead to a just peace between both sides, and the league would not cooperate with the United States to implement it. According to ''Haaretz'', an Arab diplomat explained that the United States did not disclose the full details of its Mideast peace plan to Arab states before its release, which is why representatives of three Arab countries attended the event unveiling it and "when they got into the minute details of the plan, we understood that there is no Palestinian state in practice and there is no capital in East Jerusalem, and more importantly, that there is an attempt to divide al-Aqsa Mosque" and "... so ultimately all the foreign ministers fell in line with the position opposing the Trump plan, and reiterated their commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative."
* : On 4 February 2020, Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission in a toughening of its initial response, said that the plan broke with "internationally agreed parameters" and "Steps towards annexation, if implemented, could not pass unchallenged." Commenting "We can't not react to something nnexationthat, from our point of view, is against international law," EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said that the topic would be on the agenda of the next EU foreign affairs ministers' meeting in March, which would produce a common EU position on the subject. The Luxembourg foreign minister, Jean Asselborn, had hosted a private dinner on 16 February with eight other EU foreign ministers from Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Malta, Spain, Slovenia, and Sweden on the subject. Portugal also sent its secretary of state to the event.
Other reactions
On 3 February 2020, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, rejected the plan and "calls on all member states not to engage with this plan or to cooperate with the U.S. administration in implementing it in any form."
According to ''Christianity Today
''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...
'', the reaction in the Christian world was mixed. The plan was criticised by many Middle Eastern Christians
Christianity, which originated in the Middle East during the 1st century AD, is a significant minority religion within the region, characterized by the diversity of its beliefs and traditions, compared to Christianity in other parts of the ...
, including by Christians at Nazareth Evangelical College
Nazareth Evangelical College is an evangelical Bible college located in Nazareth, Israel. The language of instruction is Arabic. The college offers graduate and undergraduate degrees and provides a number of other education services to the local co ...
, Gaza Baptist Church
The Gaza Baptist Church was a Baptist church in Gaza City, Gaza, in the State of Palestine. The church was destroyed during Israeli bombings in 2008, and the church's pastor has subsequently fled the Gaza Strip.Baptist pressGaza Baptist Church ...
, Presbyterian Church of Aleppo and the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
. The plan was praised by Christians at Christians United for Israel
Christians United for Israel (CUFI) is an American Christian organization that supports Israel. Its statement of purpose is; "to provide a national association through which every pro-Israel church, parachurch organization, ministry or individua ...
and Beeson Divinity School in Alabama.
The reaction among American Jewish groups was mixed: J Street criticised the plan while AIPAC praised it.
A number of conditions (see: § Recognition Criteria) have been denounced as unachievable.
On 23 February 2020, Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
said at a meeting of bishops from all countries in the Mediterranean basin "Nor can we overlook the still unresolved conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, with the danger of inequitable solutions and, hence, a prelude to new crises."
In an open letter published by ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', fifty former European prime ministers and foreign ministers condemned the plan, saying it would create an apartheid-like situation in occupied Palestinian territory. According to Nathan Thrall, Middle East analyst for the International Crisis Group
The International Crisis Group (ICG; also known as the Crisis Group) is a transnational non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1995. It is a think tank, used by policymakers and academics, performing research and analysis on global ...
, both Clinton's and the subsequent Trump plan confine a Palestinian majority to an area less than a quarter of Mandate Palestine. For Rashid Khalidi
Rashid Ismail Khalidi (; born 1948) is an American historian of the Middle East and the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University. He served as editor of the ''Journal of Palestine Studies'' from 2002 until 2020, when ...
, rather than being a new deal for the 21st century, Trump's plan follows a much older colonial pattern set long ago by Great Britain and pursued by the United States.Rashid Khalidi
Rashid Ismail Khalidi (; born 1948) is an American historian of the Middle East and the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University. He served as editor of the ''Journal of Palestine Studies'' from 2002 until 2020, when ...
"President Trump's Peace Plan Is the Latest in a Century of Outrageous Deals for the Palestinians"
''Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...
'', January 31, 2020. 'The "Deal of the Century" as Trump described it, is in fact a typical colonial concoction: put together by those who believe that they know better than the benighted natives do what is best for them, and elevating the rights and interests of one group over those of another. This pattern, set by Great Britain and the early Zionist movement, has been followed by the U.S. and Israel ever since then.... While far more extreme and one-sided than anything that preceded it, this new plan also constitutes a continuation of a much older pattern. The Palestinians, the overwhelming majority of the population of Palestine at the time, were not even mentioned in the Balfour Declaration, whose terms governed their lives for three decades. Nor were they mentioned in UNSC 242, the supposed basis for "peace-making" in the Middle East, which not surprisingly has signally failed to bring peace to Palestine/Israel in over half a century.
See also
*Abraham Accords
The Abraham Accords are a series of joint normalization statements initially between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, effective since September 15, 2020. Mediated by the United States, the initial announcement of August 13, 2020, ...
* Israel–United Arab Emirates normalization agreement
* Bahrain–Israel normalization agreement
* Israel–Sudan normalization agreement
Notes
References
Bibliography
* The content of the website is in the public domain
The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work
A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...
or licensed under Creative Commons Attribution
A Creative Commons (CC) license is one of several public copyright licenses that enable the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted "work".A "work" is any creative material made by a person. A painting, a graphic, a book, a song/lyrics ...
license.
External links
"Peace to Prosperity"
full text
Peace to Prosperity short overview
Whitehouse.gov
Transcript of Trump Peace Plan Speech
{{Donald Trump
Israeli–Palestinian peace process
2020 in Israel
2020 in the State of Palestine
2020 in the United States
Israel–United States relations
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Presidency of Donald Trump