You Will Anyway: There'll be peace in the Middle East. Thank Trump

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

There'll be peace in the Middle East. Thank Trump

Donald Trump has launched his “ultimate deal” for Middle East peace, saying the detailed 80-page proposal would be a “realistic two-state solution” that had already been agreed to by Israel as the basis for talks.

[...]

“I was not elected to do small things or shy away from big problems,” he added, in a speech supported by cheers and applause from the audience.

In a series of sometimes contradictory statements, Trump said the plan would:

Establish Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided” capital, but with a potential Palestinian capital in eastern sections of the city.

Recognise Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian territory as part of the country.

Offer the future possibility for a Palestinian statehood that would “more that double Palestinian territory”, without specifying what territory he was referring to.

Lead to “1m” new jobs for Palestinians and triple its GDP.

[...]

Netanyahu went further, saying Trump’s plan recognised Israeli sovereignty over other large areas of Palestinian territory and would seek to fully disarm the militant group Hamas.

Guardian

Somehow, I don't think the Palestinians are going to find this "peace plan" as attractive as Netanyahu does.

“It’s a great plan for Israel, it’s a great plan for peace,” he said. Critically, Netanyahu said the “status quo” of Israeli control over the Palestinian territories would remain in place until a deal was reach, which he anticipated would take years.

Okay, so what was this then?

Palestinians leaders, however, were absent from the launch. They have long dismissed Trump as being biased against them, and pre-emptively rejected his proposal.

[...]

Earlier this week, Saeb Erekat, the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, described it as a “hoax”. The Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, said it was “fraud on every count”.

Yeah, so, great job, Don. (And Jared.)

The Guardian understands that Washington does not intend to press the Palestinians too hard to accept the plan. However, by releasing a detailed set of suggestions that are seen as strikingly favourable to Israeli ultranationalists, its publication is likely to embolden the country’s rightwing government to take steps long seen as taboo.

[...]

The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, said the plan had more to do with Trump and Netanyahu’s legal woes than peace. “This is a plan to protect Trump from impeachment and protect Netanyahu from prison. It is not a Middle East peace plan,” he said.

I don't think we're going to even get that far, Tommy.

UPDATE: How's this look if you're a Palestinian? Surounded by Israel and chock full of "Israeli enclave communities".

UPDATE 2/1:

Imagine that. And now they'll be accused of refusing to cooperate.

UPDATE:

https://tinyurl.com/rg5q2ek

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Life, as Explained in "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead"

GUILDENSTERN: What a fine persecution---to be kept intrigued without ever quite being enlightened.

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ROSENCRANTZ : The only thing that makes it bearable is the irrational belief that somebody interesting will come on in a minute.

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GUILDENSTERN: But for God's sake what are we supposed to do?!

PLAYER: Relax. Respond. That's what people do. You can't go through life questioning your situation at every turn.

GUILDENSTERN: But we don't know what's going on, or what to do with ourselves. We don't know how to act.

PLAYER: Act natural. You know why you're here at least.

GUILDENSTERN: We only know what we're told, and that's little enough. And for all we know it isn't even true.

PLAYER: For all anyone knows, nothing is. Everything has to be taken on trust; truth is only that which is taken to be true. It's the currency of living. There may be nothing behind it, but it doesn't make any difference so long as it is honoured. One acts on assumptions.

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GUILDENSTERN : We act on scraps of information... sifting half-remembered directions that we can hardly separate from instinct.

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PLAYER: Life is a gamble, at terrible odds-if it was a bet you wouldn't take it.