Trump Unveils Mideast Peace Plan, Says It Entails 'Realistic' 2-State Solution
U.S. President Donald Trump Tuesday unveiled long-awaited details of a U.S. plan for solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning it may represent the last chance at statehood for the Palestinians.
"Today, Israel takes a big step towards peace," Trump told a White House news conference, standing alongside visiting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he revealed key points of the plan already strongly rejected by the Palestinians.
"My vision presents a win-win opportunity for both sides, a realistic two state solution that resolves the risk of Palestinian statehood to Israel's security," Trump said.
The plan was warmly welcomed by Israel's prime minister, who called it a "historic day" for the Jewish state.
The plan, Trump said, proposes a four-year freeze of Israeli development in the area eyed for a future Palestinian state.
"Jerusalem will remain Israel's undivided, very important, undivided capital," Trump stressed.
But the plan would also provide the Palestinians with a capital in occupied East Jerusalem, he said, while indicating that the West Bank would not be cut in half under the plan.
"We will also work to create a contiguous territory within the future Palestinian state, for when the conditions for statehood are met, including the firm rejection of terrorism," Trump said as he called on the Palestinians to turn their back on the Islamist Hamas movement.
Calling it a "historic opportunity" for the Palestinians to achieve an independent state, Trump said he had written Tuesday to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to enlist his support for the plan.
No Palestinian official was present at the launch although the ambassadors from three Arab nations -- Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain -- were at the White House.
"I explained to (Abbas) that the territory allocated for his new state will remain open and undeveloped for a period of four years," Trump said.
"This could be the last opportunity they will ever have."
"Palestinians are in poverty and violence, exploited by those seeking to use them as pawns to advance terrorism and extremism," the president added.
"They deserve a far better life," he said.
Trump added that "no Israelis or Palestinians will be uprooted from their homes."
28 January 2020, 19:25
24
The Golden Epoch of our region is when we create a MEPEC (Middle East Political and Economic Community) similar to Europe EU that must include Israel, a Palestinian State and Iran; of course after a government change in these 3 countries. Just think of Europe where Germany and France waged wars for hundreds of years killing millions, have now best economic and political friends and biggest mutual traders after joining EU. In war one side always loses (often both sides), but in business, all sides benefit. Unfortunately, now Nassrallah, Khameini, Natanyaho are all faces of the same coin using each other’s to maintain power and nurture hatred. Soon Arab-Israeli will join government and I hope this will be the catalyst for change. Lebanon, the Shia and South Lebanon will be the biggest benefactors of a regional peace opening the door for a prosperous future and joint ventures in AI, machine learning, biomedical, home automation, renewable energy, tourism and others.
28 January 2020, 22:01
30
Please do not use my cousin Gebran's name or picture to write such nonsense. Gebran's memory deserves better than to forgive israel's 70 years of non-stop crimes and welcome it on occupied arab land.
28 January 2020, 20:25
22
Great plan, let's endorse it and free our minds from Fakestinian and Hizbushaytan propaganda.
28 January 2020, 22:09
20
Rightfully, the only plan that the Palestinians will ever accept would have to include a return of all Palestinian refugees to their original homes or hometowns, and a return to the pre-1967 border meaning Jerusalem would be re-divided. This would also mean that colonist Jews currently living in illegal settlements will have to evacuate their illegally built homes in the West Bank. Then, who knows, maybe they can all create a federated/united country which unifies Jerusalem, or place Jerusalem under U.N. jurisdiction, or work out such a solution. It is preposterous to even entertain the idea of allowing israel to own all of Jerusalem and/or to expect Lebanon to naturalize the palestinian refugees on its land. The concept of "israel's undivided eternal capital" is absurd on its face.
29 January 2020, 08:37
11
Personally, I couldn't care less about Palestinians and Israelis.
They both damaged us a lot. They can both rot in hell. We are neither their problem, nor their sollution, we just need those refugees out of here! Enough already!
