DEAL OF THE CENTURY’ WILL NOT INCLUDE PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD – REPORT
According to “The Washington Post,” comments from Kushner and other US officials suggest that “the plan does away with statehood as the starting premise of peace efforts.”
BY ILANIT CHERNICK APRIL 15, 2019 12:
The Trump
administration’s peace plan, known as the “Deal of the Century” will
reportedly include “practical proposals” for improving the lives of
Palestinians, but it will probably stop short of the establishment of a sovereign
Palestinian state alongside Israel, The Washington Post reported
Monday night.
The “Deal of the Century” is expected to be published soon following
more than two years in which it was formulated by a small group of US President
Donald Trump’s special envoys, which includes special representative Jason
Greenblatt and senior advisor Jared Kushner.
According
to The Washington Post report, comments from Kushner and other US officials
suggest that “the plan does away with statehood as the starting premise of
peace efforts” as was the case over the last 20 years or so.
The report goes on to quote several people who have spoken to Kushner’s team as
saying that “Kushner and other US officials have linked peace and economic
development to Arab recognition of Israel and acceptance of a version of the
status quo on Palestinian ‘autonomy,’ as opposed to ‘sovereignty.'”
“What we’ve tried to do is figure out what is a realistic and what is a fair
solution to the issues here in 2019 that can enable people to live better
lives,” Kushner said in a rare interview with Sky News Arabia as he
sought Arab support on a visit to the region in February.
“We believe we have a plan that is fair, realistic and implementable that will
enable people to live better lives,” a senior White House official said Friday.
“We
looked at past efforts and solicited ideas from both sides and partners in the
region with the recognition that what has been tried in the past has
not worked. Thus, we have taken an unconventional approach founded on not hiding
from reality, but instead speaking truth.”
Although Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said the US is biased,
one of his chief advisers reportedly said they would not outright reject
Trump’s plan.
Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to consider the plan, which Trump
emphasized “will ask concessions of both sides,” The Washington
Post reported.
Kushner has described the plan as having four pillars: freedom, respect,
security and opportunity for all parties involved.
In an interview with Army Radio on Tuesday, Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad
Erdan responded to The Washington Post’s report about “Deal of the
Century” saying that “if the American administration understood that
the idea of a Palestinian state has no justification, feasibility, or chance,
this is significant news.”
Meanwhile, a letter published in The Guardian by former EU
officials, including six prime ministers and 25 foreign ministers, called for
postponing the “Deal of the Century” because it was unfair to the
Palestinians.
In the letter, which was sent to the European Union and EU governments, the
former leaders argue that Europe must stand by the two-state solution and
condemn the Trump government’s policy that they claim is unilaterally in favor
of Israel.