Flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Trump unveiled his long anticipated peace plan, in a public event seemingly more designed to distract from Netanyahu’s indictment than to actually offer anything of substance.
A lot of terms of the plan have been long-rumored, and effectively remain so even after the presentation, as there was a conspicuous lack of specificity, and of any concrete details, beyond Trump insisting this is the Palestinians’ “last chance.“
But their last chance for what? That’s less clear. Trump talked of Palestinian statehood, but doing so next to Netanyahu, who repeatedly has denounced the very notion of a Palestinian state, gives that very little credibility. Moreover, reports are that the deal forbids the Palestinians from having any of the trappings of a state, including even superficial control over its own borders.
What was said Tuesday put no doubt on that interpretation, and indeed the biggest takeaway of the offer was not that the Palestinians were getting barely something, but that Trump was prepared to immediately endorse Israeli sovereignty on the annexation of all settlements, and the Jordan Valley.
Trump did suggest Palestinian territory would double, but as with everything else the Palestinians might get, this was vague. Trump even declared that Israel had for the first time accepted a map, but then proceeded to say that a committee was being formed with Israel to actually work out what the map will look like, underscoring that no map has been settled upon at all.
Further offers to the Palestinians were similarly dubious, as Trump reiterated a $50 billion US investment offer, now conditioned on accepting the plan, such as it is. Trump also promised a four year window in which Israel would not develop any settlements in the occupied part of the West Bank that is nominally set aside for Palestinian statehood. Yet there is no apparent enforcement mechanism for this within the plan, and it is unlikely that either Trump or the Israeli government would be able to stop illegal settlements popping up across Palestine.
That both Netanyahu and his political rival Benny Gantz were able to endorse the plan underscores how little the Palestinians would really get, as anything that might conceivably end in a proper Palestinian state would be wildly unpopular on the Israeli right, and a non-starter during Israel’s constant elections.
This assumption of Palestinian rejection is likely a big part of Israeli acceptance, as it would allow them to spin themselves as the pro-peace ones, and the Palestinians as the real problem.
The Ambassadors of Oman, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates were in attendance at the unveiling, which suggests at least some nominal support within the Arab world. This is being emphasized, and presented as some support by “the other side,” even though no Palestinians were there, nor is it clear if any Palestinians were even invited.
two state solution has been dead for over a decade.
The old Union of South Africa seemed to be very secure and in total control, until it all came apart.
Of course, sticking with this dead concept is a joke. As is Trump’s map.
The joke is Trump.
The two-state notion was BS from the start. That land belongs to Palestinians and others who were native to that land before the Zionist movement started.
Palestinians must ignore Trump, he will be gone, and Netanyahu does not receive international respect, either. Ignore their pressure to remit, and look forward to negotiating with better leaderships in the future.
“better leaderships in the future.”
LOL. Good luck with that.
Another “Trump success”, then. LOL Dead on arrival – like his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran.
And I suppose Trump’s supporters will present this as an example of “Trump’s genius” at doing…whatever.
I suppose one could argue that demonstrating that the bogus “two-state solution” – which was never viable even decades ago – is totally dead is a “win” for the Palestinians. But it should be obvious that Trump isn’t smart enough – let alone enough of a critic of Israel – to be a serious proponent of a bi-national state. And the Palestinians will get nothing real from that “win”.
So more of the same from the US. Total support for Israel, total lose for Palestinians. Nothing will change on the ground – except that once the US decides the Palestinian’s “last chance” has been rejected, it will green light Israel to go full speed ahead on its slow motion ethnic cleansing.
Which, of course, was always the real purpose of Trump’s “deal.” More proof that Trump is both an ignoramus and a deliberate liar as to his intentions.
Were the Palestinians consulted about the Balfour Declaration?
Forget border control — who is the ultimate arbiter of security inside this “Palestinian” state? Who guarantees security of Palestinian people? It seems like the continuation of the same. Israel can swoop inside this state to”protect” their security any time.
This is just a mechanism for the continuation if the same, as the current process was gifted to Israel via Oslo agreements. Having violated them thoroughly , time for a new set.
But Saudi Arabia is not there. Oman, Bahrain and UAE are there as nothing in their geopolitics will require them to be involved in the implementation. Without Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, this is a non-starter. Israel knows it, Palestinians know it, the world knows it.
Let us say Palestinians agree — how different would it be from Oslo? The current Israeli politics would just go on. What would be the point in inviting Palestinians.
As predicted, the document is highly slanted toward Israel. At the beginning it calls on all parties to accept compromises.Yet at numerous points later on it declares that it is unrealistic to expect Israel to make compromises! The document is poorly written, like a high school essay with much cliche language and redundancy, though it seems to have been run through a spell-checker, at least. It perpetuates propaganda like “terror tunnels”, language that really doesn’t belong in a diplomatic context. It is available at whitehouse.gov.
They have to dumb it down so the poorly educated Americans can understand it and agree to it.
Maybe that’s just Kushner’s level of writing.
Yeah now I’m curious who actually wrote the document. It’s not a linguistic disaster but still it’s pretty far below the level you’d expect from a showcase international document.
My understanding is that this plan is what Kushner has been working on for quite some time. Of course we know who he takes his cues from.
And it’s not just dumb, it’s a lack of effort to put even the appearance of effort at diplomacy. The proposal mostly repeats Israeli talking points. The expression is “phoned in”. The Trump Administration phoned this one in…
the sole basis for a lasting peace for a 2 state solution are the boundries in UNR 181. These also happen to be the only internationally recognized boundries. Everything else is a cease fire line.
If the Likud refuses to accept 181 boundries they are then eventually going to be forced into a one-man one-vote situation which will mean the end of a Jewish State.
The only hope for the Jewish Stare is for the Likud to accept 181
Interesting. I had not looked closely at UNR 181 before. Interesting how closely it resembles the pre-1967 armistice lines. The latter were not internationally recognized borders, as someone just screamed at me on a different site – Jordan annexed the West Bank before Israel did – or will, or whatever.
yup 242 implicitly references the 181 borders.
SELF-DETERMINATION
self-de·ter·mi·na·tion
noun
the process by which a country determines its own statehood and forms its own allegiances and government.
“the changes cannot be made until the country’s right to self-determination is recognized”
the process by which a person controls their own life.
What happens in Palestine is the greatest crime of our time and we fund from here in the good ol’ usa of a… https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/06da87075d683275dd2ea83af7812dc554be1d9010894ccd03c4bb789194a153.jpg
Trump has NO RESPECT for the self-governance or self-ownership of US citizens. He sure as hell has no respect for the lives or future of anyone outside of our borders…least of all if Bibi doesn’t go along with it.
Generally speaking, Americans have zilch self-respect. That’s why we have Trump.
Trump may be the greatest president in my life time
What do you like best about him? His defense budget? His space force? His sanctions? His ordering the assassination of sovereign country’s general? His bragging about “taking out” the general? His pardoning war criminals? His advocacy of torture? Him wanting to fill GITMO? Him declaring Syria’s oil to be ours? Do you like his rallies where he whips his minions into a frenzy of hate? Do you like how he calls people names on twitter? Do you like his narcissism? Please tell me to STFU because you were being sarcastic.
Everything you mentioned I do not like . I only am comparing him to former U.S. presidents . And I can remember when Truman was elected . He was not a bad president but he did drop 2 nuclear bombs on Japan .Trump has not started one single war in almost 4 years That is almost a record . I haven’t noticed Trump supporters being hateful and in a frenzy But have noticed his opposition being in a frenzy and very hateful making up lies and trying to convict Trump of crimes they themselves committed . Yes Trump talks crude but has mostly good policies . We have had too many slick talking presidents with terribly bad policies . Trump is correcting those bad policies as fast as he can . You should be happy you have Trump
Heh, talk about “last chances”….the guys should try to share attorney expenses…
One state for all the residents of historic Palestine, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish. This is just another step on that inevitable path.
UN Security Council Resolution 242 confirms the inadmissibility of the acquisition of land by force and calls for Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories. President Carter wrote a book called “Peace – Not Apartheid” in which he valiantly spoke out against the crimes against humanity committed by the State of Israel, that our Government continues to ignore or condemn. President Trump happily continues this egregious and ill advised policy to the detriment of the United States’ standing in the civilized world. Under the Trump administration the United States has alienated and antagonized many of our former allies and political supporters and his most recent attempt at meddling in the Middle East on behalf of the State of Israel is once again an embarrassing blunder. Both Trump and Netanyahu are in deep trouble politically on their respective home fronts and watching the two of them self-congratulating on another serious political misstep does not instill confidence in their very troubled and serious misguided leaderships. The United States is not an “honest broker” and this entire issue must be resolved in the United Nations without undue interference of US/Chines/Russian “veto” powers.
Well said. However, I cannot think of any force at work in today’s world that could cause this to happen.
Time may come when UNDUE influence is spelled out a bit mire precisely.
There can only be one solution and that is a ONE state solution with democratic and equal rights for all its citizens. Ironically the continued annexation by Israel of the West Bank will in fact eventually lead to the establishment of one single state. How long that will take is anyone’s guess, but it could be closer than we think. Kissinger thinks the same when he once said there won’t be an Israel after 2025. That might be a bit optimistic in my view. It’s all a matter of time. The current situation is unsustainable in the long run.
that will only happen when the US is distracted by its own financial problems
“There can only be one solution and that is a ONE state solution with democratic and equal rights for all its citizens.”
That’s never going to happen. The Zionists want all of Palestine, and they want it “cleansed” of Arabs. And they will have it.
But then, they will be defeated militarily, and THEY will be “cleansed”.
The assertion that there is only ONE solution always misses this OTHER solution.
(Note: I’m not advocating the violent solution, just predicting it. Because it’s the historic pattern.)
I disagree on the your sentence ”Both Trump and Netanyahu are in deep trouble politically on their respective home fronts…”. In Jimmy Carter era America, the U.S. was not as partisanly divided as today. Netanyahu comes from a totally different system than the U.S.. He can’t legitimately claim he is a victim of partisan opponents as Donald Trump can, and does. The Palestinian-Israel issue is seen as a backwater or side issue to many, if not the majority of Americans. How are we at today’s point of the ” Complete takeover of American Middle East policy by religious right in Israel and the U.S. – and the successful purge of anyone with actual experience or even a smidgen of empathy in their past for Palestinians”?
The U.N. you want , one without undue interference by the Veto holding Powers, does not exist. That is not reality. The U.N. sprang out of the tens-of-millions of peoples’ deaths in World War Two. It was created and lobbied by then President Truman, and the chairman of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union voted for the creation of Israel, and was absent for the vote on defending South Korea in 1950.
This only confirms they never had a chance.
They can refuse. They already did, many times.
There will be a one state solution now. It is the end of the Jewish state. It will be a long ugly fight, but the end is clear. Netanyahu has ended Israel.
After reading the headline one can almost hear the theme music to “The Godfather”.
The Nobel peace now ought to awarded to the Trump/Jared/Bibi trio. LOL!
The Nobel war price should go to those three musketeers instead…
would you please tell me why you rejected my comment . Was it perhaps too true .
I know Antiwar hates Jews you are not a honest news service if you refuse to print the truth . Lies is why there are wars . So you are more pro war than anti war.
You have no comments listed as deleted, at least recently (I only looked back about 24 hours or so).
Interesting take, though. You’re lying about Antiwar.com, and lies is why there are wars. Rubber, glue, etc.
Yes great comment Thomas that’s how I got my start
The final solution to the Palestinian question.
I am reaching the conclusion that you’ve been correct about this all along.
“Accept this peace deal, without anything in it for you, or else…”
This is a plan That the Arabs will accept and prosper under , just like Arabs in Israel proper do . Israel will control the borders and the security of all of Palestine just like they do now . Israel does not ethnically cleans Muslims or Arabs . They are allowed to leave of their own free will , just like Jews are . Being the only Jewish state in the world . Jewish refuges will be always be allowed into Israel even if they have to stack one Jew on top of another . Foreign Muslims and Christians will only be allowed into the border Israel controls under special circumstances . This should eventually result in a larger Jewish controlled state with many wealthy Muslims and Christians .
What kind of article heading is this…?! Either Ditz stole it from Scott Ritter or vise versa…!
Ha, ha, ha,ha,ha…………….
Sorry I jumped to conclusions needlessly I saw my comment and somebody was going to check it out for permission to be printed . than I could not find my comment for a while and got mad . Now I found it again thanks for printing the comment . Sounds like you agree with me lying does cause problems even when the lies come from me
This just says it all.
Jared Kushner “I’ve read 25 books on it. They were so hard I’ve decided I will never read again,” he said. “I’ve also spoken to every leader in the region, I’ve spoken to everyone who’s been involved in this — well, except for the Palestinians — I was very tired from reading the books.”
“It took us three years to put almost everything — everything — Israel wanted in the deal.
Kushner said he had been expecting Palestinian gratitude for “all the effort Ivanka and I put into this,”
A couple of murderers gloating about putting the Palestinians into their graves.
Foreign agent kushner must be having multiple organisms.