23 apr 2019
Trump adviser and son-in-law said Israeli elections, Ramadan all a factor in determining timing of the deal; criticized passed efforts for focusing only on two-state solution
Jared Kushner, son-in-law and adviser to US President Donald Trump issued some comments Tuesday on the much talked about "deal of the century" being proposed by the administration to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "Both sides will have to make difficult concessions," he said. Kushner also said that the deal was set to be announced last year but the Israeli elections changed the timing.
Kushner criticized the Two-state paradigm along with previous efforts to reach an agreement. "If people focus on the old traditional talking points, we will never make progress. The Arab peace initiative of 2002, which I think was a very good attempt but if that would have worked it would have made peace a long time ago," Kushner said. "We will do something different."
He maintained that the administration's approach was unique and that they studied all the previous attempts, how and why they failed.
Regarding timing, Kushner said that the deal would likely be announced only after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. He also congratulated Prime Minister Netanyahu on his election victory and added that the coalition building process was also a factor.
"Our focus is really on the bottom up —which is how do you make the lives of the Palestinian people better? What can you resolve to allow these areas to become more investable," Kushner said. "We deal with all the core status issues because you have to do it, but we have also built a robust business plan for the whole region. I think that the two together have the opportunity to push forward," adding that Israel's security is of primary importance but that both sides will have to make compromises.
Kushner also said that he believes that the proposal will not be accepted easily on both sides but that ultimately, they will see that it will improve their lives in a practical manner. "Let's see if the leadership on both sides have the courage to make progress."
Jared Kushner, son-in-law and adviser to US President Donald Trump issued some comments Tuesday on the much talked about "deal of the century" being proposed by the administration to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "Both sides will have to make difficult concessions," he said. Kushner also said that the deal was set to be announced last year but the Israeli elections changed the timing.
Kushner criticized the Two-state paradigm along with previous efforts to reach an agreement. "If people focus on the old traditional talking points, we will never make progress. The Arab peace initiative of 2002, which I think was a very good attempt but if that would have worked it would have made peace a long time ago," Kushner said. "We will do something different."
He maintained that the administration's approach was unique and that they studied all the previous attempts, how and why they failed.
Regarding timing, Kushner said that the deal would likely be announced only after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. He also congratulated Prime Minister Netanyahu on his election victory and added that the coalition building process was also a factor.
"Our focus is really on the bottom up —which is how do you make the lives of the Palestinian people better? What can you resolve to allow these areas to become more investable," Kushner said. "We deal with all the core status issues because you have to do it, but we have also built a robust business plan for the whole region. I think that the two together have the opportunity to push forward," adding that Israel's security is of primary importance but that both sides will have to make compromises.
Kushner also said that he believes that the proposal will not be accepted easily on both sides but that ultimately, they will see that it will improve their lives in a practical manner. "Let's see if the leadership on both sides have the courage to make progress."
Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Ishtayeh said, on Tuesday, that the actions and decisions of the United States administration regarding the Palestinians and their cause including cutting aid to UNRWA, moving the embassy to Jerusalem, and recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel are worse than the text of the so-called "Deal of the Century."
This came during a meeting Ishtayeh held at his office in Ramallah City, in the central occupied West Bank, with US Senator Ron Wyden, where the two discussed the latest political developments.
Ishtayeh said, "Talking about annexing parts of the West Bank under the so-called settlement blocs destroys the two-state solution and eliminates any chance of establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders."
Ishtayeh added, "We must separate the Palestinian-American relations from the peace process or the political process that is going on. The stalemate of the peace process must not be met with punishment or blackmail from the American administration of the Palestinian people. We want it to be an honest peace broker."
Ishtayeh also called on the US Congress to follow suit of many other world parliaments and vote to recognize the State of Palestine and to lift the sanctions imposed on the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
This came during a meeting Ishtayeh held at his office in Ramallah City, in the central occupied West Bank, with US Senator Ron Wyden, where the two discussed the latest political developments.
Ishtayeh said, "Talking about annexing parts of the West Bank under the so-called settlement blocs destroys the two-state solution and eliminates any chance of establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders."
Ishtayeh added, "We must separate the Palestinian-American relations from the peace process or the political process that is going on. The stalemate of the peace process must not be met with punishment or blackmail from the American administration of the Palestinian people. We want it to be an honest peace broker."
Ishtayeh also called on the US Congress to follow suit of many other world parliaments and vote to recognize the State of Palestine and to lift the sanctions imposed on the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
17 apr 2019
Jared Kushner apparently urged a group of ambassadors in a closed meeting to keep an 'open mind' about the so-called 'deal of the century,' which will be published after Israel forms a government and Palestinians mark the end of Ramadan
White House senior adviser Jared Kushner urged a group of ambassadors on Wednesday to keep an "open mind" about President Donald Trump's upcoming Middle East peace proposal and said that it will require compromises from both sides, a source familiar with the remarks said.
Kushner said the peace plan is to be unveiled after Israel forms a governing coalition in the wake of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's election victory and after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends in early June, the source said. "We will all have to look for reasonable compromises that will make peace achievable," Kushner said, according to the source, who asked to remain unidentified.
Kushner, one of the main architects of the peace proposal and who is married to Trump daughter Ivanka, spoke to about 100 ambassadors from around the world at Blair House, the presidential guest home across the street from the White House. He spoke as part of a State Department series of speeches.
The proposal has two major components: A political piece that addresses core political issues as the status of Jerusalem, and an economic part that aims to help the Palestinians strengthen their economy.
Unclear is whether the plan will propose outright the creation of a Palestinian state, the Palestinians' core demand.
During his remarks, Kushner pushed back on the idea that the Trump peace plan was mostly about centered around the economic package, saying the political component is "very detailed," the source said.
"He said the plan will require concessions from both sides but won't jeopardize the security of Israel," the source said. "It requires everybody approaching the plan with an open mind."
The White House had no comment.
White House senior adviser Jared Kushner urged a group of ambassadors on Wednesday to keep an "open mind" about President Donald Trump's upcoming Middle East peace proposal and said that it will require compromises from both sides, a source familiar with the remarks said.
Kushner said the peace plan is to be unveiled after Israel forms a governing coalition in the wake of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's election victory and after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends in early June, the source said. "We will all have to look for reasonable compromises that will make peace achievable," Kushner said, according to the source, who asked to remain unidentified.
Kushner, one of the main architects of the peace proposal and who is married to Trump daughter Ivanka, spoke to about 100 ambassadors from around the world at Blair House, the presidential guest home across the street from the White House. He spoke as part of a State Department series of speeches.
The proposal has two major components: A political piece that addresses core political issues as the status of Jerusalem, and an economic part that aims to help the Palestinians strengthen their economy.
Unclear is whether the plan will propose outright the creation of a Palestinian state, the Palestinians' core demand.
During his remarks, Kushner pushed back on the idea that the Trump peace plan was mostly about centered around the economic package, saying the political component is "very detailed," the source said.
"He said the plan will require concessions from both sides but won't jeopardize the security of Israel," the source said. "It requires everybody approaching the plan with an open mind."
The White House had no comment.
15 apr 2019
About 37 former European officials have called on the European Union to reject the US-proposed peace plan, also known as "Deal of the Century," designed to liquidate the Palestinian rights, on Monday.
The former European officials addressed a letter to EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, urging her to reject United States President Donald Trump’s peace plan and warned of the plan’s implications for regional stability.
The letter, published in the Guardian news outlet, read, “We are convinced that a plan that reduces Palestinian statehood to an entity devoid of sovereignty, territorial contiguity and economic viability would severely compound the failure of previous peace-making efforts, accelerate the demise of the two-state option and fatally damage the cause of a durable peace for Palestinians and Israelis alike.”
The signatories urged the EU to embrace and promote a plan in line with the basic principles of international law as reflected in the agreed EU parameters for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The alternative plan, the letter noted, should be conducive to “the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel on borders based on the pre-1967 lines with mutually agreed, minimal and equal land swaps; with Jerusalem as the capital for both states; with security arrangements that address legitimate concerns and respect the sovereignty of each side and with an agreed, fir solution to the question of Palestinian refugees.”
The letter said, “Unfortunately, the current US administration has departed from longstanding US policy and distanced itself from established international legal norms,” criticizing Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, which was seen as recognition of “only one side’s claims to Jerusalem.”
Washington was also criticized for demonstrating “a disturbing indifference to Israeli settlement expansion” in the occupied West Bank and cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Palestinians, a move the letter said was “gambling with the security and stability of various countries located at Europe’s doorstep.”
The signatories called on European governments to “further commit to scale up efforts to protect the viability of a future two-state outcome” and the EU and all member states to “actively ensure the implementation of relevant UN security council resolutions, including consistent differentiations in accordance with UN security council resolution 2334, between Israel in its recognized and legitimate borders, and its illegal settlements in the occupied territories.”
The former European officials addressed a letter to EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, urging her to reject United States President Donald Trump’s peace plan and warned of the plan’s implications for regional stability.
The letter, published in the Guardian news outlet, read, “We are convinced that a plan that reduces Palestinian statehood to an entity devoid of sovereignty, territorial contiguity and economic viability would severely compound the failure of previous peace-making efforts, accelerate the demise of the two-state option and fatally damage the cause of a durable peace for Palestinians and Israelis alike.”
The signatories urged the EU to embrace and promote a plan in line with the basic principles of international law as reflected in the agreed EU parameters for a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The alternative plan, the letter noted, should be conducive to “the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel on borders based on the pre-1967 lines with mutually agreed, minimal and equal land swaps; with Jerusalem as the capital for both states; with security arrangements that address legitimate concerns and respect the sovereignty of each side and with an agreed, fir solution to the question of Palestinian refugees.”
The letter said, “Unfortunately, the current US administration has departed from longstanding US policy and distanced itself from established international legal norms,” criticizing Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, which was seen as recognition of “only one side’s claims to Jerusalem.”
Washington was also criticized for demonstrating “a disturbing indifference to Israeli settlement expansion” in the occupied West Bank and cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to Palestinians, a move the letter said was “gambling with the security and stability of various countries located at Europe’s doorstep.”
The signatories called on European governments to “further commit to scale up efforts to protect the viability of a future two-state outcome” and the EU and all member states to “actively ensure the implementation of relevant UN security council resolutions, including consistent differentiations in accordance with UN security council resolution 2334, between Israel in its recognized and legitimate borders, and its illegal settlements in the occupied territories.”
7 apr 2019
The Asael outpost in the West Bank
PM says no Israeli settlement will be under Palestinian sovereignty, and that he 'will not distinguish between settlement blocs and isolated settlements'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Saturday to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank if re-elected, a dramatic policy shift apparently aimed at rallying his nationalist base in the final stretch of the tight race.
Netanyahu has promoted Jewish settlement expansion in his four terms as prime minister, but until now refrained from presenting a detailed vision for the West Bank, seen by the Palestinians as the heartland of a future state.
An Israeli annexation of large parts of the West Bank is bound to snuff out any last flicker of hope for an Israeli-Palestinian deal on the terms of a Palestinian state on lands Israel captured in 1967.
A so-called two-state solution has long been the preferred option of most of the international community. However, intermittent U.S. mediation between Israelis and Palestinians ran aground after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital early in his term. The Palestinians, who seek Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital, suspended contact with the U.S.
More recently, Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a plateau Israel captured from Syria in 1967. The move was viewed in Israel as a political gift by Trump to Netanyahu who is being challenged by former military chief Benny Gantz.
The U.S. State Department declined to comment on Netanyahu's statement.
Polls have indicated a close race, though Netanyahu's Likud Party is expected to have a better chance than Gantz's Blue and White slate to form a ruling coalition. Polls forecast more than 60 out of 120 parliament seats for the Likud and smaller right-wing and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties
On Saturday, Netanyahu gave an interview to Israel's Channel 12 TV at the top of the prime-time newscast. Netanyahu portrayed the U.S. policy shifts on Jerusalem and the Golan Heights as his achievements, saying he had managed to persuade Trump to take these steps.
Netanyahu pledged that he would not dismantle a single Jewish settlement and that Israel would retain control of the territory west of the Jordan River -- the West Bank. More than 600,000 Israelis now live on war-won lands, two-thirds in the West Bank.
The interviewer asked why he hadn't annexed some of the larger settlements during his current term. "The question you are asking is an interesting question, whether we will move to the next stage and the answer is yes," he said, adding that the next term in office would be fateful. "We will move to the next stage, the imposing of Israeli sovereignty."
"I will impose sovereignty, but I will not distinguish between settlement blocs and isolated settlements," he said. "From my perspective, any point of settlement is Israeli, and we have responsibility, as the Israeli government. I will not uproot anyone, and I will not transfer sovereignty to the Palestinians."
In any partition deal, the more isolated Jewish settlements would likely have to be uprooted to create a viable Palestinian state.
Saeb Erekat, a veteran former Palestinian negotiator, said he held the international community, especially the Trump administration, responsible for Israel's policies.
"Israel will continue to brazenly violate international law for as long as the international community will continue to reward Israel with impunity, particularly with the Trump administration's support and endorsement of Israel's violation of the national and human rights of the people of Palestine," he said in a statement.
PM says no Israeli settlement will be under Palestinian sovereignty, and that he 'will not distinguish between settlement blocs and isolated settlements'
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Saturday to annex Jewish settlements in the West Bank if re-elected, a dramatic policy shift apparently aimed at rallying his nationalist base in the final stretch of the tight race.
Netanyahu has promoted Jewish settlement expansion in his four terms as prime minister, but until now refrained from presenting a detailed vision for the West Bank, seen by the Palestinians as the heartland of a future state.
An Israeli annexation of large parts of the West Bank is bound to snuff out any last flicker of hope for an Israeli-Palestinian deal on the terms of a Palestinian state on lands Israel captured in 1967.
A so-called two-state solution has long been the preferred option of most of the international community. However, intermittent U.S. mediation between Israelis and Palestinians ran aground after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital early in his term. The Palestinians, who seek Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital, suspended contact with the U.S.
More recently, Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a plateau Israel captured from Syria in 1967. The move was viewed in Israel as a political gift by Trump to Netanyahu who is being challenged by former military chief Benny Gantz.
The U.S. State Department declined to comment on Netanyahu's statement.
Polls have indicated a close race, though Netanyahu's Likud Party is expected to have a better chance than Gantz's Blue and White slate to form a ruling coalition. Polls forecast more than 60 out of 120 parliament seats for the Likud and smaller right-wing and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties
On Saturday, Netanyahu gave an interview to Israel's Channel 12 TV at the top of the prime-time newscast. Netanyahu portrayed the U.S. policy shifts on Jerusalem and the Golan Heights as his achievements, saying he had managed to persuade Trump to take these steps.
Netanyahu pledged that he would not dismantle a single Jewish settlement and that Israel would retain control of the territory west of the Jordan River -- the West Bank. More than 600,000 Israelis now live on war-won lands, two-thirds in the West Bank.
The interviewer asked why he hadn't annexed some of the larger settlements during his current term. "The question you are asking is an interesting question, whether we will move to the next stage and the answer is yes," he said, adding that the next term in office would be fateful. "We will move to the next stage, the imposing of Israeli sovereignty."
"I will impose sovereignty, but I will not distinguish between settlement blocs and isolated settlements," he said. "From my perspective, any point of settlement is Israeli, and we have responsibility, as the Israeli government. I will not uproot anyone, and I will not transfer sovereignty to the Palestinians."
In any partition deal, the more isolated Jewish settlements would likely have to be uprooted to create a viable Palestinian state.
Saeb Erekat, a veteran former Palestinian negotiator, said he held the international community, especially the Trump administration, responsible for Israel's policies.
"Israel will continue to brazenly violate international law for as long as the international community will continue to reward Israel with impunity, particularly with the Trump administration's support and endorsement of Israel's violation of the national and human rights of the people of Palestine," he said in a statement.
5 apr 2019
Palestinian Presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks regarding the Gaza Strip as revealing the magnitude of the conspiracy of the so-called “Deal of the Century,” on Thursday.
Abu Rudeineh said in a statement that Netanyahu’s remarks saying “one option is turning Gaza over to another country” and that he talked to many Arab leaders, however, none of them agreed to the proposition, “indicates the magnitude of the conspiracy of the deal of the century, which, if implemented, will be as much a conspiracy against the Arab countries as it is against Palestine.”
He noted, “President Mahmoud Abbas has constantly warned against this, hence his refusal to relinquish Jerusalem, which is the cornerstone that will safeguard the Palestinian and Arab national interests.”
Abu Rudeineh went on to call on the Hamas movement “to fully fathom what is being planned for it to be part of the so-called ‘Deal of the Century,’ which would result in the Judaization of Jerusalem, the liquidation of the Palestinian identity and relinquishing freedom and independence.”
He reaffirmed Abbas’s and the Palestinian leadership’s position that there will not be a state in Gaza nor a state without Gaza, and no state without East Jerusalem.
Abu Rudeineh stressed that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) will continue to protect the national constants until the flag of Palestine is raised in East Jerusalem and its holy places, and achieving freedom and independence based on United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
Abu Rudeineh said in a statement that Netanyahu’s remarks saying “one option is turning Gaza over to another country” and that he talked to many Arab leaders, however, none of them agreed to the proposition, “indicates the magnitude of the conspiracy of the deal of the century, which, if implemented, will be as much a conspiracy against the Arab countries as it is against Palestine.”
He noted, “President Mahmoud Abbas has constantly warned against this, hence his refusal to relinquish Jerusalem, which is the cornerstone that will safeguard the Palestinian and Arab national interests.”
Abu Rudeineh went on to call on the Hamas movement “to fully fathom what is being planned for it to be part of the so-called ‘Deal of the Century,’ which would result in the Judaization of Jerusalem, the liquidation of the Palestinian identity and relinquishing freedom and independence.”
He reaffirmed Abbas’s and the Palestinian leadership’s position that there will not be a state in Gaza nor a state without Gaza, and no state without East Jerusalem.
Abu Rudeineh stressed that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) will continue to protect the national constants until the flag of Palestine is raised in East Jerusalem and its holy places, and achieving freedom and independence based on United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.
The United States President Donald Trump is most likely to reveal his Middle East peace plan, known as the “Deal of the Century,” on the 71st anniversary of Nakba, on Thursday.
According to Al-Khaleej Online news outlet, the US administration told Arab and Gulf officials that the peace plan would be revealed on May 15th on “Nakba day,” when Palestinians commemorate the Nakba or “catastrophe,” when an estimated 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes when the state of Israel was created.
On Nakba day, Israel also celebrates its Independence Day.
The news outlet also cited unnamed sources saying that the US administration informed senior Saudi, Emirati, Egyptian, and Jordanian officials about the date of the announcement.
Sources mentioned that the US administration already completed the plan and secured the funds needed to implement its economic policies.
Jared Kushner, a senior White House adviser and son-in-law of the United States President Donald Trump, previously said the US administration would to present the plan following the Israeli legislative election on April 9th.
Kushner stated that both the Israelis and the Palestinians would have to make compromises.
Following the alleged reveal of the “Deal of the Century,” mass protests across the occupied West Bank are expected to take place.
It is noteworthy that the Palestinian Authority (PA) has been boycotting the US administration since December 2017 when US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and then moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018.
Following recent tensions and the US Trump administration's undeniable support for Israel has prompted the Palestinians to cut communication with the US and declared it unfit to be a mediator during the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
According to Al-Khaleej Online news outlet, the US administration told Arab and Gulf officials that the peace plan would be revealed on May 15th on “Nakba day,” when Palestinians commemorate the Nakba or “catastrophe,” when an estimated 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homes when the state of Israel was created.
On Nakba day, Israel also celebrates its Independence Day.
The news outlet also cited unnamed sources saying that the US administration informed senior Saudi, Emirati, Egyptian, and Jordanian officials about the date of the announcement.
Sources mentioned that the US administration already completed the plan and secured the funds needed to implement its economic policies.
Jared Kushner, a senior White House adviser and son-in-law of the United States President Donald Trump, previously said the US administration would to present the plan following the Israeli legislative election on April 9th.
Kushner stated that both the Israelis and the Palestinians would have to make compromises.
Following the alleged reveal of the “Deal of the Century,” mass protests across the occupied West Bank are expected to take place.
It is noteworthy that the Palestinian Authority (PA) has been boycotting the US administration since December 2017 when US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and then moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018.
Following recent tensions and the US Trump administration's undeniable support for Israel has prompted the Palestinians to cut communication with the US and declared it unfit to be a mediator during the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
14 mar 2019
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said that the United States dropping the term “occupation” from the occupied Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan Heights will not change the fact they are an occupied territory as deemed by the United Nations and international law, on Wednesday.
Abu Rudeineh said in a statement that the US decision to drop the status of occupation from the Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan Heights is "a continuation of the hostile approach of the American administration toward our Palestinian people and is contrary to all UN resolutions."
He stressed, "These American titles will not change the fact that the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 and the occupied Arab Golan are territories under Israeli occupation in accordance with UN resolutions and international law."
Abu Ruideineh said that this last decision "falls within the American scheme to pass the so-called 'Deal of the Century' to liquidate the Palestinian cause. But regardless of the attempts and conspiracies, our Palestinian people led by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and by President Mahmoud Abbas will remain steadfast and adhering to the national constants. Our national project will prevail until we reach our independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital."
According to Hebrew-language news outlets, the US dropped from its annual report on the human rights situation any reference to the Palestinian territories or the Syrian Golan Heights as “occupied territories” as it used to be mentioned in former reports.
It is noteworthy that the Palestinian Authority (PA) has been boycotting the US administration since December 2017 when US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and then moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018.
Following recent tensions and the US Trump administration's undeniable support for Israel has prompted the Palestinians to cut communication with the US and declared it unfit to be a mediator during the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Abu Rudeineh said in a statement that the US decision to drop the status of occupation from the Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan Heights is "a continuation of the hostile approach of the American administration toward our Palestinian people and is contrary to all UN resolutions."
He stressed, "These American titles will not change the fact that the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 and the occupied Arab Golan are territories under Israeli occupation in accordance with UN resolutions and international law."
Abu Ruideineh said that this last decision "falls within the American scheme to pass the so-called 'Deal of the Century' to liquidate the Palestinian cause. But regardless of the attempts and conspiracies, our Palestinian people led by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and by President Mahmoud Abbas will remain steadfast and adhering to the national constants. Our national project will prevail until we reach our independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital."
According to Hebrew-language news outlets, the US dropped from its annual report on the human rights situation any reference to the Palestinian territories or the Syrian Golan Heights as “occupied territories” as it used to be mentioned in former reports.
It is noteworthy that the Palestinian Authority (PA) has been boycotting the US administration since December 2017 when US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and then moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018.
Following recent tensions and the US Trump administration's undeniable support for Israel has prompted the Palestinians to cut communication with the US and declared it unfit to be a mediator during the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
4 mar 2019
The Trump administration’s “Deal of the Century”, or so-called Middle East Peace Plan does not include the establishment of an independent Palestinian state., but rather calls for Palestinian autonomy in the Gaza Strip, with political and economic links to the West Bank, the Palestinian newspaper al-Quds reported on Thursday.
The paper did not cite the source of the information, yet said that the Jewish settlements in the West Bank will remain on the ground, but will not be able to be extended.
Most of the Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank will instead, reportedly, have to be removed to facilitate the movement of Palestinians.
The newspaper added that 25 billion dollars of investment in the West Bank and Gaza will be foreseen as part of the ‘deal’, as well as significant investment for Egypt, Jordan, and possibly also Lebanon, PNN reports.
The paper did not cite the source of the information, yet said that the Jewish settlements in the West Bank will remain on the ground, but will not be able to be extended.
Most of the Israeli military checkpoints in the West Bank will instead, reportedly, have to be removed to facilitate the movement of Palestinians.
The newspaper added that 25 billion dollars of investment in the West Bank and Gaza will be foreseen as part of the ‘deal’, as well as significant investment for Egypt, Jordan, and possibly also Lebanon, PNN reports.
