Trump, Netanyahu unveil ‘historic’ Israel-Palestinian peace plan

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday unveiled what Trump has hailed as “the deal of the century” — an Israeli-Palestinian peace plan that aims to end decades of conflict.

But the plan — which Netanyahu called a “vision for peace,” was immediately rejected by Palestinians as favoring Israel.

“They rejected it again today,” said Jason Greenblatt, a lawyer who left the Trump Organization to serve as Trump’s special envoy for Middle East peace.

Having not participated in negotiations over the last two years, the Palestinian Authority sent no representatives to the East Room for the announcement — a fact that did not deter Trump.

“After 70 years of little progress, this could be the last opportunity they will ever have” to cut a deal that could improve the lives of Palestinians, Trump said in the East Room, with Netanyahu at his side.

The prime minister credited Trump for coming up with a plan where others had failed.

“Mr. President, because of this historic recognition and because I believe your peace plan strikes the right balance where other plans have failed, I’ve agreed to negotiate peace with the Palestinians on the basis of your peace plan,” he said. “It’s a great plan for Israel. It’s a great plan for peace.”

The plan includes a massive commercial investment of $50 billion into the new Palestinian state, which would see its capital in East Jerusalem. According to U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, there could be high-speed rail connection from Gaza to the West Bank.

‘Not for sale’

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the president in rejecting the plan, which he dismissed as “nonsense” and vowed to resist: “Trump, Jerusalem is not for sale and Palestinians’ rights are not up for bargaining,” he said, according to Deutsche Welle.

“We say 1,000 no’s to the Deal of the Century,” Abbas said, using a nickname for Trump’s proposal. “We will not kneel and we will not surrender,” he said, adding that the Palestinians would resist the plan through “peaceful, popular means.”

Trump said he’s done a lot for Israel, but added that he wanted the deal to be a “great deal for the Palestinians.” He said his vision gives the Palestinians the time needed to rise up and meet the challenges of statehood.

Thousands of Palestinians protested in Gaza City ahead of the announcement, burning pictures of Trump and Netanyahu and raising a banner reading “Palestine is not for sale.”

Abbas said he planned to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the plan and invited officials of Hamas, an Islamic militant group that seeks Israel’s destruction. The official Wafa news agency quoted Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh as calling on Palestinian factions to set their differences aside and unite against the plan.

Trump’s plan recognizes Israeli sovereignty over major settlement blocs in the West Bank — something the Palestinians are unlikely to accept.

The plan calls for a four-year freeze in new Israeli settlement construction, during which time details of a comprehensive agreement would be negotiated. However, it was not immediately clear if the freeze could be extended if a final deal is not concluded in that four years.

Choose ‘the path to peace’

Trump said he sent a letter to Abbas to tell him that the territory that the plan has set aside for a new Palestinian state will remain open and undeveloped for four years.

“It’s going to work,” Trump said. “If they do this, it will work. Your response to this historic opportunity will show the world to what extent you are ready to lead the Palestinian people to statehood.

“President Abbas, I want you to know, that if you chose the path to peace, America and many other countries … we will be there to help you in so many different ways. And we will be there every step of the way,” Trump added.

The White House effort, overseen by Trump son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, focused not so much on wooing Palestinian leaders to the table as to applying pressure on Palestinian leaders to negotiate.

Dubbed “outside in,” the Trump approach has relied on Arab neighbors to push Palestinian leaders to the table. One condition, Netanyahu explained, is “for Hamas to be disarmed and Gaza to be demilitarized.”

Arab response

Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates sent ambassadors to the event as a show of support.

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the Palestinian reaction would define the Arab response to Trump’s peace plan. He spoke after meeting with Palestinian official Gibreel al-Ragoub at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo.

Jordan gave the plan a cool reaction, saying it remained committed to a two-state solution based on Israel’s pre-1967 lines. It also said it rejected any unilateral move by Israel, referring to the annexation plan.

Egypt, the first Arab country to reach a peace deal with Israel, urged Israelis and Palestinians to carefully study the plan. The European Union also said it needed to study it more closely.

Saudi Arabia, another key Arab country, said it appreciated the Trump administration’s efforts and encouraged the resumption of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians “under the auspices of the United States.”

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations supports two states living in peace and security within recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 borders, according to his spokesman.

Game changer

To Greenblatt the presence of the three ambassadors from Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates was a “game changer” – as shown by the warm applause they received. “I give them tremendous credit for coming,” he said.

Center for American Progress national security fellow Brian Katulis called the announcement “an obvious attempt to distract from the political crises engulfing Trump and … Netanyahu,” a reference to the ongoing Senate impeachment trial on Capitol Hill and Netanyahu’s indictment on corruption charges.

Friedman, however, told reporters that the plan was “really fully baked” before Israel’s April election, which ended with a virtual tie with rival Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz.

“We were asked to wait until the elections were over, and we did,” Friedman continued. But with polls showing the same outcome during the March 2 contest, the White House wanted to roll out the plan in time to allow Trump “the opportunity to give it all the attention that it deserves before he goes deeper into the election season.”

Monday Gantz visited Trump in the Oval Office and voiced approval for the package.

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders called the plan “unacceptable,” as he warned, the deal “will only perpetuate the conflict, and undermine the security interests of Americans, Israelis, and Palestinians.”

Big names attend announcement

Using Netanyahu’s nickname as he looked out at the supportive crowd, Trump said, “Bibi, we have a lot of powerful people in this room. People who can make it work.”

Indeed, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin sat in the front. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and James Risch of Idaho were in the room as well.

A reporter did observe two known Democrats, former Sen. Joe Lieberman and celebrity attorney Alan Dershowitz, who is part of the Trump defense team. Trump donors Sheldon and Miriam Adelson sat in the front row next to special envoy for Iran Brian Hook.

Contact Debra J. Saunders at dsaunders@reviewjournal.com or at 202-662-7391. Follow @DebraJSaunders on Twitter. The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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