A US President facing impeachment and an Israeli Prime Minister indicted for corruption, leading an interim minority government, are about to announce a plan to solve the conflict with the Palestinians, without any Palestinian present. Unbelievable farce.
Interesting that Trump begins by giving double billing to both Netanyahu and Gantz, “a man trying very hard to become the prime minister of Israel in the longest election in history.” Netanyahu smiling, but he wouldn’t have liked that.
Trump now raphsodizing about his meeting with Abbas in Bethlehem in 2017. It actually consisted of a short shouting-session in which Trump berated Abbas. He doesn’t mention that since August 2017, there’s been no dialog whatsoever between the administration and the Palestinians.
Trump: “A win-win for both sides. A realistic two-state solution.” That has just cost Netanyahu the support of the Israeli far-right which has ruled out a Palestinian state under any circumstance.
Trump now saying that Netanyahu has given him a map of where Israel is prepared to concede territory. If so, it really is a significant development as Netanyahu over years of failed negotiations never agreed to give the Palestinians or the Americans a map.
Trump: “We will also work to create a contiguous state for the Palestinians when the conditions for statehood are met.” If so, it’s another concession by Netanyahu who only wants to give the Palestinians enclaves. But what are these “conditions for statehood”?
Trump now saying that “undivided Jerusalem” will be Israel’s capital. This is so far the major win for Israel in the Trump plan and something the Palestinians can never swallow.
Trump now saying “this could be (the Palestinians) last chance” to get an independent state. Which is what Netanyahu is banking on. That the Palestinians turn down this “last chance”.
Trump: “Palestinians will have a capital in Eastern Jerusalem (that’s Abu Dis) where the US will proudly open an embassy... no Israelis or Palestinians will be uprooted (settlers to stay)... Israel will work with Jordan to ensure the status quo in Al-Aqsa Mosque (sovereignty?)
Trump now says that he has given Abbas 4 years to accept his offer of “a wonderful and fully independent state” but it’s not clear besides the state being “contiguous” how much of the West Bank that state will get. If the settlements remain, it wont be very contiguous.
Trump’s riff on 1948 is interesting. He’s fully adopted the Israeli narrative of the Palestinians having missed their chance then for a state under the UN partition plan. He’s basically saying, 72 years later I’m giving you one very last chance to get a (much smaller) state.
Trump’s roped in Oman, Bahrain and UAE (whose ambassadors are present) as co-sponsors of the plan. But the Saudis and Jordanians aren’t there and they count for much more.
Trump’s speech over. If I’m not mistaken, he hasn’t mentioned Gaza or Palestinian refugees. Though they’re apparently in the 80-page plan. Now Netanyahu on. Name-checking first Sara, and then every flunky of his and Trump’s in the room.
Netanyahu pays tribute to Trump for “today, the first time, you recognized our sovereignty over strategic areas of Judea and Samaria which are central to our heritage and crucial to our security” - this is Netanyahu playing to the Israeli voters back home. This is what he’s won.
Netanyahu saying “I’ve agreed to negotiate with the Palestinians on the basis of your peace plan.” But he’s not specifying that it means a (truncated) Palestinian state. Betting he won’t use the world “Palestinian state” in his speech, to not get in to trouble with the far-right.
Netanyahu: “Israel will apply its laws to the Jordan Valley and to the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria”. That is the key part. When will Israel unilaterally annex parts of the West Bank? In the 5 weeks before the election? And how will the Palestinians respond?
Nope. Netanyahu went through his entire speech without once mentioning the words “Palestinian state.” So that show’s over. Netanyahu will be making a stop in Moscow tomorrow and then come back to home to face reality. A corruption trial in Jerusalem.
