Trump’s Much-Hyped Middle East Peace Plan Deemed a Nonstarter: ‘Not a Peace Plan At All’
President Donald Trump stood beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday as he announced his long waited Middle East peace proposal. Even before the announcement, the plan was earning massive skepticism.
“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 said in an address from the White House. “This plan will double Palestinian territory and set the capital of the Palestinian state in eastern Jerusalem where the United States will happily open an embassy.”
The announcement was hyped on Fox News Tuesday morning, with a series of segments dedicated to a plan that has been in the works since Trump was inaugurated — but one that had been rejected by Palestinians before it was even announced.
In his written report on the event, Fox News White House reporter John Roberts noted that “odds of the peace plan taking shape are long given that the Palestinians have preemptively rejected the plan.” Roberts also noted that Palestinians are likely to object to Israel claiming sovereignty over major areas the West Bank, plus the requirement for Palestine’s demilitarization as a state.
Between the propositions for Palestinian territorial concessions, a West Bank border favorable to Israel, and the lack of Palestinian representation for a plan that limits their autonomy, news outlets overwhelmingly cast the proposal as dead on arrival.
And sure enough, after Trump made the announcement, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas rejected the deal and called it “nonsense.”
New: “We categorically reject this deal,” says Palestinian leader Abbas of Trump’s Mideast Peace Plan, adding “We will not kneel down…Annexation of 30% of our territory is nonsense.”
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) January 28, 2020
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) asserted on Twitter that because the peace plan was negotiated only with Israel, “it’s not a peace plan at all.”
2/ Any claim that this plan envisions a Palestinian state is just false. The plan allows Israel to control all security matters inside the Palestinian “state”, and thus it’s not a state at all.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 28, 2020
4/ I remain a devoted supporter of Israel and our commitment to their security and defense. But this proposal compromises the long term security of both Israel and the United States. That’s why I oppose it.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 28, 2020
Others agreed that without the involvement of the Palestinians, the chances Trump’s plan bringing peace to the region are remote:
“We do know the peace plan was developed without any input from the Palestinians” https://t.co/qHgb19lBuv
— Eric Boehlert (@EricBoehlert) January 28, 2020
Middle East peace must be between two peoples, Israel & Palestinian, not between two people, @realDonaldTrump & @IsraeliPM. Optics of two side-by-side at launch do not help plan’s prospects given its many pro-Israel aspects and that it was negotiated w/o Palestinians.
— Richard N. Haass (@RichardHaass) January 28, 2020
The so-called Trump “peace plan” will only lead to more division and conflict.
Claiming to advance peace without the involvement of one party to the conflict is a diplomatic hoax that undermines the chance of a genuine two-state solution.
It’s an “anti-peace” plan.
— Senator Chris Van Hollen (@ChrisVanHollen) January 28, 2020
If POTUS’ Mideast peace plan is to work, Palestinians will have to renounce right of return & acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a majority Jewish state. These two issues always stood in way of any deal, whether considered too tilted toward Jerusalem or not.
— David M. Drucker (@DavidMDrucker) January 28, 2020
My statement on the so-called Kushner “peace-plan”: pic.twitter.com/QpPFmUbZzY
— Rep. Alan Lowenthal (@RepLowenthal) January 28, 2020
This is the official White House plan for Palestine — a swiss-cheese like PA with threadbare links to other zones. There is no way this is accepted by the Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/3Dkw862cY5
— Ryan Bohl (@Ryan_Bohl) January 28, 2020
Don’t give Trump the benefit of the doubt by calling today’s announcement a “peace plan.” A peace plan involves bringing two sides together. This was created without Palestinians even at the table. It’s a #PeaceSham. https://t.co/NAAQ9B4XFz
— Leah Frances Greenberg (@Leahgreenb) January 28, 2020
So a peace plan without the support of Palestinians who are currently occupied is not a peace plan but just the status quo. I thought Jared was going to fix this. He has the experience right? Also this is all for Trump’s white evangelical base. https://t.co/BRTs7OlylN
— Wajahat “Some Muslim…I’ve Never Heard Of” Ali (@WajahatAli) January 28, 2020
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