Former U.S. diplomat thinks Trump's Middle East peace plan will 'deepen' Israel-Palestine conflict
President Trump unveiled his administration's Middle East peace plan alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, just hours after Netanyahu was indicted on corruption charges.
The two leaders touted the two-state plan as a "win-win" for Israel and Palestine. Trump promised $50 billion in international aid to build up the Palestinian state, which would house its capital in East Jerusalem, leaving Israel in control of a unified Jerusalem. The White House included a perplexing-looking map of the proposed solution, complete with a tunnel connecting Gaza and the West Bank.
Trump's map. A Palestinian state on 75% of the West Bank more or less; Palestinians get "land swap" in the Negev and remote neighborhoods of East Jeruaslem; Tunnels and roads connect the whole thing. 15 settlements remain as enclaves, and so does the Israeli military. pic.twitter.com/e4xcwyGmrC
— Amir Tibon (@amirtibon) January 28, 2020
Many of the early reactions to the proposal were critical — analysts like Nicholas Burns, a Harvard professor and former U.S. diplomat, anticipate a rejection from the Palestinians and even an escalation of tensions between the two sides since it does little to curb Israeli settlements in the West Bank in the long run.
President Trump’s Middle East plan is clearly good for Israel but not for the U.S. It forfeits any presence of fairness and consigns the Palestinians to live as stateless people on their own land. It will deepen, rather than resolve, this seven-decade conflict. https://t.co/57ysjbV6ww
— Nicholas Burns (@RNicholasBurns) January 28, 2020
Neighboring Jordan warned against the "annexation of Palestinian lands" in response to the plan, as well. But it does have at least one potential fan. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly said that after speaking with Trump earlier in the day, he thinks it could help pave the way forward.
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