Trump’s Middle East Plan

The Trump plan is just a cover for Israel's final land grab
By Jonathan Cook: Israel needed a fresh pretext to justify seizing the last fragments of historic Palestine after the expiry of its Oslo alibi. The Trump "Vision for Peace" will never be implemented - and not because the Palestinians reject it. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s enthusiastic public embrace of the plan belies the fact that the Israeli right detest it too.  The headlines are that, with US blessing, Israel's dream is about to be realised: it will be able to annex its dozens of illegal settlements in the West Bank and the vast agricultural basin of the Jordan Valley. In return, the Palestinians can have a state on 15 per cent of their homeland. Read More

Trump and Balfour compared
By Dr. James Zogby: Much has already been written about the Trump Administration’s release of its long-awaited plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace. I will not repeat the criticisms. Instead, I will focus on what I found to be the striking and disturbing parallels between this Trump “Deal of the Century” and last century’s infamous “Balfour Declaration.” Though certainly longer and more pretentious than the “Declaration”, in many ways, the “Deal” reflects much the same intent and logic as its predecessor. There are also, of course, some significant differences. Read More

Palestine – “Deal of the Century” – or Fraud of the Century?
By Peter Koeing: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas demolished President Trump’s “Peace Plan” or, as the Donald called it, “The Deal of the Century”, calling out “Jerusalem is not for sale”, warning that the “conspiracy deal will not pass. The Palestinian people will reject it.” He added, “[the Plan] belonged to the dust bin of history”. And he is absolutely right. That is an understatement. Indeed, the Palestinians were never even consulted. President Abbas denounced the Plan as a “new Balfour Declaration”. Turkish President Erdogan said, “This is the plan to ignore the Palestinians’ rights and legitimize Israel’s occupation,” as quoted by Anadolu Agency. Read More

Understanding the Trump ‘Deal of the Century’: what it does, and doesn’t say
BY Yumna Patel: After years of anticipation that began on US President Donald Trump’s campaign trail in 2016, the “Deal of the Century” was finally unveiled last week to Israeli fanfare and Palestinian outrage. The 181-page plan, complete with conceptual maps, proposed land transfers, and economic incentives, touched on a number of the critical issues surrounding the Israeli Palestinian conflict for decades. Borders, settlements, refugees, and the status of Jerusalem were all mentioned in the plan, which was described by Trump as a “win-win” situation for both parties. Read More

Erdoğan bitterly criticizes treasonous Arab leaders who back Trump’s Middle East plan
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali: Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan on Friday (Jan 31) criticized Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states for not speaking out against the Middle East plan of President Donald Trump which he said endorsed the Israeli annexation of Palestinian lands. “Some Arab countries that support such a plan commit treason against Jerusalem, as well as against their own people, and more importantly against all humanity,” Erdogan told his party’s provincial heads in Ankara. Read More

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) rejects Trump Mideast plan
Al Jazeera: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has said it rejects US President  Donald Trump 's recently unveiled Middle East plan. The 57-member body, which held a meeting on Monday (Feb 3) to discuss the plan in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, said in a statement that it "calls on all member states not to engage with this plan or to cooperate with the US administration in implementing it in any form". Read More

Trump’s Middle East ‘vision’ is a disaster that will only make things worse
By Tony Walker: US President Donald Trump’s “vision” for Israelis and Palestinians is not a realistic peace plan to end a decades-old conflict. Rather, it’s more like a real estate deal in which one side is a recipient of a low-ball offer. In the meantime, the other side is continuing to expand its hold on property to which it does not have the title deeds under international law. This is not the “deal of the century”, as Trump claims, but an invitation to Israel to assert its sovereignty over swathes of territory seized in the 1967 war. Read More

Trump attempting to consolidate the Balfour Declaration
By Askiah Adam: Why should the Palestinians submit to tyranny when international law and order is on their side? For instance, by agreeing to Trump’s idea of a solution the Palestinians are denying their right to protection from the International Criminal Court (ICC) their recourse to justice against the tyrant under the present circumstances. Should they for US$50 billion over 10 years and the million jobs promised renounce all rights that would secure them their dignity and the return of lands stolen from them? Or is there restitution in economic development? Read More
 

 The Journal of America Team:

 Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali

Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott

Special Correspondent
Maryam Turab
 

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