President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a joint news conference to announce a new Middle East peace plan proposal in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on January 28, 2020. (Credit: Joshua Roberts, Reuters)
US President Donald Trump held a joint press conference at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today to announce the president’s “Deal of the Century” Israeli-Palestinian peace proposal. Touting his previous pro-Israel initiatives, Trump promised that the latest proposal is the best, and perhaps the last good chance that Palestinians have to achieve statehood, saying that the plan is the “most detailed ever put forward by far. Our proposal provides precise technical solutions to make Israelis, Palestinians and the region safer.” Trump and Netanyahu both outlined key components of the plan, including:
annexation of existing Jewish settlements in the West Bank into Israel
Israel will retain security control of the Jordan Valley on the western border of Jordan, providing a defensible barrier
Jerusalem will remain the undivided capital of Israel, while a Palestinian capital will be recognized in East Jerusalem
Proposed Palestinian state land in the West Bank will remain undeveloped for four years, giving the Palestinian Authority time to implement the agreement
50 billion US dollars of investment into the new Palestinian state, which Trump claimed will add 1 million jobs over 10 years, cut Palestinian poverty in half and raise GDP by 200-300%
The Palestinians must recognize the right of Israel to exist. Hamas must be disarmed and the Gaza Strip demilitarized
A tunnel will connect the West Bank to Gaza
Issue of Palestinian refugee resettlement will have to be resolved outside of Israel
Retain status quo at religious sites, including Temple Mount
Leaders in the Palestinian Authority publicly rejected the new plan even before its announcement, choosing instead to hold joint meetings with other Palestinian factions, including terrorist groups such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The latter groups are responsible for constant rocket fire and other forms of attack against Israeli civilians. Street protests broke out in the West Bank within minutes after the conference, and IDF units in the area were placed on high alert in expectation of a violent backlash. Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas declared called Trump “a dog and the son of a dog,” and left no room for negotiating with his administration, stating “It's either dying like martyrs or flying the Palestinian flag on the walls of Jerusalem.” The Islamist government in Turkey also condemned the peace proposal in a released statement, claiming that it is “an attempt to kill the two-state solution, a plan aiming to annex Palestinian territory…Jerusalem is our red line. We won’t allow steps to legitimize Israel’s occupation, oppression.”
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President Trump struck an accord with other Arab leaders in the Middle East, citing the cooperation of Oman, Bahrain and the UAE in the negotiations. Envoys of the Oman and Bahrain governments were in attendance at the press conference. The Saudi Arabian foreign ministry released an unprecedented public statement in which it endorsed the peace plan, stating that the Kingdom "appreciates the efforts of President Trump's Administration to develop a comprehensive peace plan between the Palestinian and the Israeli sides, and encourages the start of direct peace negotiations under the auspices of the United States..."
President Trump also also cited the recent The president also cited the recent death of Iranian Quds Force commander Qassem Solemani and his driving vision to “liberate” Jerusalem from Israel by means of war. Trump exhorted Muslim nations around the world to reject this, stating that “In truth, Jerusalem is [already] liberated…It is time for the Muslim world to fix the mistake it made in 1948 when it attacked instead of recognized the State of Israel…America is prepared to work with all parties on our vision.”
Bibi Netanyahu hailed the president’s plan as different from its predecessors, citing that previous plans had failed due to lack of balance between Israeli security concerns in the West Bank and Palestinian aspirations for statehood. Recognizing Israel’s rightful heritage in the Biblical Jewish heartland of Judea and Samaria as a “permanent part of the Jewish state” was a critical step for Israelis, the Prime Minister claimed, stating that he has “agreed to negotiate peace with Palestinians on basis of [the] peace plan. It's a great plan." After listing Trump’s previous pro-Israel initiatives, including the movement of the US embassy to Jerusalem, withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal and recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Netanyahu called Trump the “greatest friend of Israel ever in the White House…it’s not even close.”
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We would ask our global partners to join us in prayer for the safety of our friends and partners in the Israeli Defense Forces, and for peace in Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories. We also pray that divine wisdom would be granted to President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Palestinian Authority and other Arab leaders in the region as they continue to navigate this volatile time.
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Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyWovtG_YaA&feature=youtu.be
https://www.timesofisrael.com/islamic-state-announces-new-phase-of-attacks-mainly-targeting-israel/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/iranian-general-warns-of-retaliation-against-israel-if-us-threats-continue/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-to-join-palestinian-leadership-meeting-against-trump-plan-officials/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Abbas-Trump-is-a-dog-and-son-of-a-dog-I-wont-become-a-traitor-615572?fbclid=IwAR1piMU-LBAyK8rilNak5LTftyHT4SWGIs4HSFbgqfvutplZA_3pDBI7bcU
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Peace-to-Prosperity-0120.pdf
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/trump-unveil-israeli-plan-latest-updates-200128132737854.html
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