I watched online yesterday as President Trump presented his Middle East peace plan. He announced his proposal alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House.
The plan calls for a two-state solution including the state of Israel and the “future” state of Palestine with a capital in East Jerusalem.
How the plan benefits Palestinians
The president’s plan offers significant benefits to the Palestinians. They would have a contiguous state in the West Bank that would be connected via a tunnel with the Gaza Strip. The proposed map would more than double the Palestinian territory, according to Mr. Trump, who stated that “no Palestinians or Israelis will be uprooted from their homes.”
Israel would freeze new settlement activity for four years while Palestinian statehood is negotiated. Israel would ensure Muslim access to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and respect Jordan’s role regarding holy sites. The plan also creates a $50 billion economic revival fund for Palestinians, Jordan, and Egypt.
Mr. Netanyahu and his opponent in Israel’s March 2 election, Gen. Benny Gantz, have both agreed to implement the plan. This is the first time Israel has accepted a Palestinian state with defined borders.
How the two sides are responding
However, the plan also contains elements that are certain to meet with Palestinian objections.
The US would recognize Israeli sovereignty over major portions of biblical Judea and Samaria, including the entire Jordan Valley. The Palestinian pathway to statehood requires that they recognize Israel as a Jewish state with its capital in Jerusalem, disarm Hamas, stop payments to terrorists, and eliminate incitement in schools.
The Jerusalem Post calls the plan “the best one Israel has ever been offered.” By contrast, Palestinian leaders have already stated that the plan “doesn’t constitute a basis for resolving the conflict.” They…
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