“The Deal of the Century” turned out to be remarkably generous to the “Palestinians,” giving them far more than they had any right to expect. It promises them a state – the state of Palestine. It doubles the size of the territory under Palestinian control. The Palestinians will under the plan possess nearly 80% of the West Bank. They will also have their capital in East Jerusalem. The plan includes Palestinian use and management of facilities in Haifa and Ashdod ports, Palestinian development of a resort area in the north shore of the Dead Sea, and continued Palestinian agricultural activity in the Jordan Valley. Ultimately, the plan envisions “modern and efficient transportation links” through the future Palestinian state, including Gaza. The West Bank and Gaza will be linked through a tunnel.
Under the Trump plan, the Palestinians will be obligated to disarm Hamas and Islamic Jihad, must stop their Pay-For-Slay plan, must stop inciting terrorism, must end the rampant corruption in the PA, must respect human rights, and must guarantee a free press and religious freedom. We shall see if the PA is able to meet these conditions precedent to achieving a state. The PA’s record to date is not encouraging.
The plan also requires Israel to observe a four-year moratorium on any new settlements in the West Bank while negotiations with the Palestinians are going on, but says nothing about whether the moratorium would continue if, after four years, negotiations are still continuing. It makes provision for $50 billion in aid to be given to the Palestinians, as had previously been announced at the “Peace Through Prosperity” workshop in Manama last June. That is a huge sum, but who would pay it? One hopes that it will not be the Western Infidels paying for the Palestinians. The $50 billion ought by rights to come from fellow Muslim Arabs, those who live in the oil-rich states of the Gulf – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar.
The most important concession of all, according to Trump’s peace initiative, would be the recognition of a new state, the State of Palestine. This State of Palestine would have to agree to be disarmed, but how that disarmament would be enforced, and exactly what arms it would include, remains unclear.
Israel also gets certain concessions. Existing Israeli settlements (that is, towns and cities) in the West Bank would be recognized as sovereign Israeli territory. The Palestinians would have to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. The Palestinian refugees, or “refugees” (the quotation marks indicate that these are the descendants of refugees, not true refugees themselves) would be integrated into the countries where they now live. There would be no right of return.
Netanyahu and Gantz have both declared themselves pleased with Trump’s peace plan. But can they truly be pleased with the recognition of a State of Palestine, with its capital in East Jerusalem? Perhaps they are pleased because the plan is better than any of the previous plans presented by Trump’s predecessors, and because they know that Abbas will never accept it, so they needn’t worry. They can afford to be pleased. There is no other state in the world that has been successfully disarmed. How likely is it that a State of Palestine, full of Jihadis, could be permanently disarmed, and not become a source of terrorism against Israelis, whether living in the West Bank or elsewhere in Israel?
The plan is generally good, but I confess that I expected even better. I did not think this administration would recognize a State of Palestine with its capital in East Jerusalem. I envisioned instead an arrangement whereby the local Arabs (to be carefully referred to as “Palestinian Arabs”) in the West Bank would be given as much autonomy as was consonant with Israeli security, but not a state. The safer the Israelis, the greater the degree of local autonomy. I see that I was wrong.
However, there is one thing about this plan that makes it most welcome. And that is the assurance that neither Mahmoud Abbas, nor any of his successors in the Palestinian Authority, nor anyone in Hamas, will be willing to negotiate over this plan in good faith. The Palestinians rejected Trump’s plan before they knew what was in it; they reject it again now that they know what is in it. Much of the world will be able to see that even when the Palestinians are offered a state of their own, even when they are promised that that state’s capital will be in East Jerusalem, even when they are further promised $50 billion in aid, far more than any of the more than 100 developing countries have ever received In aid, that is not enough to satisfy them. They are the spoiled brats of the international community.
Other Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Oman, will urge the Palestinians to take the deal — “You get a state, you have your capital in Jerusalem, the Israelis have to stop building settlements, you’ll have 80% of the West Bank” – “or else.” “Or else” would mean only this: “We are tired of your whining, tired of the whole Palestinian problem; tired of your refusal to accept $50 billion in aid. We have so many bigger problems to think about, starting but not ending with Iran. Get with the program. Or count us out.” The refusal of the Palestinians to take the deal will only widen the gap between them and the other Arabs.
In agreeing to the Trump plan, Israel will have committed itself to not building new settlements in the West Bank for four years, while negotiations are going on. It’s a big concession. But if there are no negotiations, because the Palestinians continue to refuse enter into them, then the Trump administration has made clear that Israel is no longer required to refrain from settlement building. The Trump administration has noted that, in that case, it will support Israel should it decide to unilaterally incorporate other areas of the West Bank, beyond what it will already have annexed. And the offer of a State of Palestine will not be revived. And very few, at that point, will care.
jca reid says
Notice, Muslim Countries are not giving the Palestinians any “Aid”. It is ALWAYS the hated West & the Great Satan, America! Trump should tell them to, “Stuff it!”
Bazz12 says
Surprise surprise, they were NEVER going to accept the plan. Abbas would be a dead man if he accepted.
They made it clear, all of Israel would be Palestine.
There will be no Jews in Palestine.
The Koran is clear, land once occupied by Islam is always Islamic. The Jews would all be killed, or expelled.
For them it is the only solution and the Final Solution.
cornelius says
I read an article the other day that said several small Arab villages in Israel proper will be transferred to Palestine under the Trump plan. The Arab mayors and dignitaries of these villages were howling in protest….denouncing Trump and Netanyahu….and pledging their eternal support for the Palestinian cause. Their opposition to the plan was even more vociferous than the Palestinians themselves. It was actually quite comical…they went round and round spouting ancillary reasons for their opposition, but wouldn’t dare say the obvious, that the main reason they were opposed to this deal was because they didn’t want to lose their Israeli citizenship and fall under the control of the PLO. I guarantee that in the unlikely event Abbas buys into Trump’s plan, these Israel Arabs will remain adamantly opposed.
Sometimes dreams are wonderful things….until the moment they might be turned into reality.
James Lincoln says
cornelius says,
“the main reason they were opposed to this deal was because they didn’t want to lose their Israeli citizenship and fall under the control of the PLO.”
Interesting angle that I had missed – my compliments.
Dan says
I hate that nobody understands what a handshake means anymore.
It first means, “I’m extending my weapon hand, my sword hand, to show it is empty, and that I mean you no harm.
Second, it means a promise to honor whatever agreement was reached.
That lying sack of feces Abbas won’t do either.
mortimer says
Under the Trump plan, the territories to be designated ‘Palestine’ are virtually no different than Bantustans in the former South Africa, culturally homogeneous, tribal enclaves of poor people with wealthy bosses who line their pockets. A better plan would be to use the Swiss model, with culturally different ‘cantons’ which choose their own language and educational system. Anyone in the canton uses the local language and their children attend schools in the local language. That would, of course, not satisfy the Muslim fanatics who want to dominate and control everything. There might even be a special canton for traditionalist Muslim fanatics, but it would soon turn into a hotbed of jihadism. Muslims cannot be permitted to create jihad schools that teach hate and terrorism, but they will do so by hook or by crook. That is normative Islam. Islam is truly a spoiler in reaching a deal when fanatics form the Muslim political establishment Fanaticism intrudes in politics in all Muslim countries to create inter-sectarian deadlocks and violence-promoting rebel movements.
Western governments should start financing the counterjihad.
mortimer says
Great Britain actively promoted the creation of Transjordan, but dragged their feet on creating Israel. They put roadblocks in the way of Israel. This gave the Arabs the idea that if they were forceful enough, they could remove the Jewish settlements and get back to the good old days of the Damascus caliphate.
I blame Great Britain for the custom-designed, engineered impasse that it created. A bold action is required, that is similar to moving the embassy to Jerusalem. Just recognize the 1948 border and let this PSYCHODRAMA end. The Arab countries, Iran and other Muslim states have enough of their own problems. They won’t declare war on Israel or the United States, they will make a show of protest and then look after their financial interests. The United States cannot do that alone, however. If several Western countries join, then Israel will be recognized in the 1948 borders and the world will not end.
James says
It won’t come about any more than the other deals, there is no motivation for the Arabs to agree, as long as they can believe that they can get something better, such as conquering all of Israel and setting up a larger Palestine without any Jews in the way. That is probably what they are aiming at. Probably there will not be any settlement in our lifetime.
Marcel says
Better take plan B: give the arabs imposing as palestinians a one way ticket to jordan – out forgood
Terry Gain says
I was taken aback by the headline but given Mr. Fitzgerald’s excellent understanding of Islam and the Middle East I should have known better. If so-called Palestinians continue to reject this deal, then it is ingenious as it will justify further Israeli encroachment on the West Bank of the Jordan River.
Kudos to President Trump. This plan is as ingenious as Rand Paul’s question yesterday concerning the anti-Trump activities of Misko and Ciamarra. Chief Justice Roberts disallowed the question thus proving that the so-called Whistleblower is Eric Ciamarra. The real Whistleblower is of course Alexander Vindman, who listened to the call and then contacted Ciamarra.
ferrisalt says
Where is that $50 billion in aid to Palestine coming from I wonder?
gravenimage says
It’s not going to happen now–Trump may have realized that.
Gamzu says
“And the offer of a State of Palestine will not be revived. And very few, at that point, will care.”
Unfortunately, the next time the Dems take the White House, they will try to revive the offer with much more favorable terms for the Pals.
Terry Gain says
And the Israelis will say “stop wasting our time”.
gravenimage says
First Thoughts On the Trump Plan and How Mahmoud Abbas Will Save the Day
……………………
Hugh Fitzgerald may well be right. Certainly, after Oslo I realized that the “Palestinians” were never going to accept *any* peace plan.
James Lincoln says
You are correct gravenimage.
The so-called “Palestinians” will NEVER accept any peace plan that includes the continued existence of Israel.
Mahmoud Abbas, and the rest of the PA, have revealed themselves for who they are.
There are no doubts now…
Christopher Watson says
Of course they won’t accept the plan. It doesn’t matter how generous it gets they will never accept any plan. Abbas and the other cronies are making too much money. If they had to lose their criminal power they would lose billions and free their poor citizens who finally might have the power to take revenge.
Peter Dale says
There never has been any doubt. All you have to do is to read the charter of Hamas and the so-called Palestinian Authority. Their stated goal is to establish one state from the river to the sea. And that state does not include any Jews. They have never wavered in what they want.
Insanity, Einstein is supposed to have said, is to keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting to have different results. This plan is insane and was, of course, dead on arrival. Abbas, and whoever succeeds him, has no intention of making any deal that compromises their stated objective.
MINAS says
It is a great plan but their too stupid and brainwashed by Islam to ever accept anything less than having it all. A waste of time and money to try and please them, just makes us look weak in their eyes. It’s all pretty useless, the world will continue to get worse. Come Lord Jesus !
Gordon Miller says
Until the “Palestinian” Arabs accept Israels’ right to exist there can never be a plan.
Demsci says
It’s a good plan. But I would make it at least a 3-state solution and never again reunite Gaza with the West Bank. If at all possible I would land swap, particularly parts of northwestern or southwestern West Bank with the Galilea Triangle which is heavily populated with Israeli Arabs. But as Cornelius explained; Israeli Arabs definitely prefer to be Israeli citizens over being Palestinian citizens.
The annexation of the Jordan valley makes a lot of positive difference because now for the first time Israel looks like a reasonable compact defensible state. An annexation of the whole Westbank would have resulted in a state with “too many Arabs, too many Muslims, too many hostile citizens” demographics. So this plan is better than wholesale annexation (of the West Bank, never of Gaza).
Given that even many Palestinians, just like Israeli Arabs, prefer citizenship of Israel over citizenship of a Palestinian state, in the future there can perhaps be more annexations or land swaps. The Arabs/ Muslims/ Christians in Israel will then be well taken care of in regards to their property rights and human rights and reasonable prosperity and the remaining citizens of the West Bank Palestinian State also keep their property rights. Under the PLO/ PA however, I am not so sure about their human rights and prosperity (just as many of them are not so sure, given their preference for the Israeli state over the Palestinian one.
The word Palestine of course comes from the Philistines and they lived primarily in the Gaza area and that is theirs now. The word Jew of course came from Juda and the kingdom of Juda, the area later called Judea. With this plan the Jewish people now get a substantial part of the territory of that Kingdom. And a small part of Hebron, where Abraham lived nearby. For now that seems enough.
Hubert Wagner says
The Palestinians are not the problem just as the Nazis in 1945 were not the problem. At the end of WWII we accepted an unconditional surrender from a country which had taken up savagery as a way of life, we denazified, executed the worst of the worst, occupied and governed the place until the Germans came to their senses. Where is it written Palestinians, indeed Muslims in general, be dealt with differently?
Rather, we are the problem because we cannot summon the moral courage any longer to defeat savages or care what happens to those Palestinians who wish to escape the savagery and live in the civilized world with the rest of us.
janwog says
The West and East bank of Jordan river was the historical biblical Israel. Should Islam start again a war, hopefully Israel with the help of God should win. Then Israel should take back the East Bank.
carl boenneken says
has trump run out of drohnes?