By Arul Louis
New York, Jan 29 (IANS) US President Donald Trump on Tuesday unveiled his Middle East peace plan that backs Israel’s continued control of territories and East Jerusalem that are in dispute with Palestinians, who boycotted the announcement.
Even before the plan crafted under the guidance of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner over three years was unveiled, Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had rejected it Despite Trumps lure of a $50 billion for the Palestine state.
The plan was unveiled at the White House about an hour before the Senate was to resume the trial of Trump.
He was accompanied by another leader under a cloud, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing a reelection while accused of corruption, and they both expect a boost among their bases from its announcement.
Benny Gantz, who is challenging Netanyahu for the prime ministership, was consulted on the plan and has met with Trump about it.
But the meeting was boycotted by Abbas, who and other Palestinian leaders had no input into the plan.
Abbas was reported by Israeli media to be calling for a meeting of the Palestine Liberation Organisation and to have given support to protests against the plan.
Unlike earlier American diplomacy to find peace in Middle East, which tried to make the Palestinians and the Israelis to negotiate, the Kushner project is a unilateral plan presented as a fait accompli.
The core of the plan is that Israel would continue to have control of all of Jerusalem and keep it as its capital and will not be required to remove the settlements built on the West Bank by Israeli settlers.
The West Bank of the Jordan River and East Jerusalem that had been under the control of Jordan fell to Israel during the 1967 war.
Israel will also have general oversight of the territories now controlled by the Palestine Authority, that has been recognised as a nation by almost 140 countries including India.
A map, “Vision for Peace: Conceptual Map,” that Trump tweeted showed scattered Palestinian enclaves with Israeli settlements in their midst.
“My vision presents a win-win opportunity for both sides, a realistic two-state solution that resolves the risk of Palestinian statehood into security,” Trump declared.
Appealing to Abbas, Trump said that if chose “the path to peace, America and many other countries, we will be there.”
The future of the plan will depend on the stand of Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia, and if the plan can be made flexible.
(Arul Louis can be contacted at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @arulouis)
–IANS
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