Monday, October 23, 2017

Details of Trump's upcoming Middle East peace plan revealed

The Trump administration is preparing to unveil its much-anticipated Middle East peace plan, one which is expected to include a radically different approach from other plans promoted by world leaders seeking to broker a final status agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
 
According to a report by Channel 2 Sunday night which cited senior US officials, the new Middle East peace plan now being drawn up by the Trump administration will not focus solely on the Arab-Israeli conflict, but will look to lay the groundwork for “regional normalization” between the Jewish state and the Arab world at large – deemphasizing final status talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
 
Unlike past plans pushed by the US, France, UK, and the Middle East Quartet – a body including representatives o the US, United Nations, European Union, and Russia – the US will not make any demands of either Israel or the PA, but instead will attempt to facilitate final status talks between the two sides, encouraging negotiations rather than imposing a framework for an agreement. US officials specifically stated that the Trump White House wishes to avoid a “take it or leave it” approach to peace talks.
 
Trump administration officials emphasized that the White House has no plans to impose a timetable for an agreement, and “won’t impose an agreement on the two sides”.
White House officials say they believe PA chief Mahmoud Abbas is serious about establishing a legacy, and is prepared to reach a deal with Israel.
 
“If the situation was different, we wouldn’t be wasting so much time and resources in the area,” one official said.
 
The officials also noted that the White House remains sensitive to Israel’s security needs, as communicated by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to the Trump administration.