President Trump unveiled a proposal for the Israel peace plan which calls for a two-state solution that includes the state of Israel and a Palestinian state, with a capital for the former in Jerusalem and a capital for the latter in portions of East Jerusalem.
Despite the generous offer of independence and $50 billion in funding, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has rejected it, declaring, “We say 1,000 ‘No’s to this deal,” and coining it “the slap of the century”.
photo Ron Almo
Israelis are debating what to do next. After threats from Palestinian Authority and Hamas officials, Israeli combat troops are on high alert in Judea and Samaria to counter attempted terror attacks on Jewish communities.
When the plan was released, Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, issued this statement: “Although laudable, this proposed plan is a non-starter. Neither the Palestinian Authority nor Hamas will agree to a state of Israel. And history has proven that dividing the land of Israel for Palestinian control will never work.”
The proposed plan more than doubles the territory currently under Palestinian control, although it also recognizes Israeli sovereignty over major settlement blocs in Judea and Samaria, the so-called West Bank.
The plan also includes a map of a contiguous Palestinian state in the West Bank, with a proposed tunnel to connect the West Bank and the Gaza strip. There would be land swaps south of Gaza to give the Palestinians more territory.
“It’s a very mixed bag because it also gives the PA a path to sovereignty over a majority of Judea and Samaria. If they had accepted the plan, it could have been a mortal danger to the Jewish communities, many of which would have become Jewish enclaves surrounded by a hostile Palestinian state. Now that Abbas has rejected the plan, Netanyahu may feel free to unilaterally declare sovereignty and Trump would be unlikely to object,” said David Rubin, former Mayor of Shiloh Israel, is the author of the book, “Trump and the Jews.”
Jordan’s custodianship over the Temple Mount sites will not change.
The plan calls for a four-year freeze in new Israeli settlement construction, during which time details of a comprehensive agreement would be negotiated for Palestine to become an official state. Israel will maintain sovereignty over all the Jewish villages in Judea and Samaria and maintain security of the area.
A small strip of land between the Egyptian border and the proposed land swap areas south of Gaza would remain Israeli territory and be subject to Israeli security control. This was requested by Egypt as a buffer against cross-border terrorism.
Under the plan, the Palestinians would have to reach certain benchmarks to achieve a state. Those benchmarks include rooting out terrorism, cease funding terrorists and their families, implementing steps toward free speech, and other political reforms. The plan also calls for a demilitarized Palestinian state, which includes Hamas in Gaza. The more the Palestinians can show they can secure their areas and cooperate with Israel, the less Israel will have to do in terms of maintaining security.
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