Trump’s Proposal for Addressing the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Greece (Eurotoday) blank” rel=”noopener”>After the occupation of Aleppo, another war between Israelis and Palestinians enters the history’s closet. Just like Ukraine before him, the plan to close this chapter has already been decided and designed by Trump’s staff. Or not.

Trump aims to explore every opportunity to achieve historic normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. However, Saudi officials maintain that establishing a Palestinian state, as outlined in prior international agreements, with East Jerusalem as its capital, is a fundamental prerequisite for lasting peace and stability in the region. They warn that without such a resolution, ongoing cycles of violence will continue to undermine prospects for normalized relations.

An ill-cooked Plan

Donald Trump plans blank” rel=”noopener”>to revisit the proposal he introduced in 2020 to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, signalling a significant departure from traditional U.S. policy and international norms. The plan heavily favours Israel, moving away from the long-standing land-for-peace principle that has shaped past negotiations.

The plan acknowledges Palestinian rights to approximately 70% of the West Bank and includes provisions for land swaps. However, it rejects the concept of “1-to-1 land swaps,” stating that Palestinians would not gain 100% of the territory from before 1967. Instead, the plan proposes territory that is “reasonably comparable” to the pre-1967 borders.

It permits Israel to annex large portions of the occupied West Bank, including Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley, while recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided capital.” This effectively dismisses Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem as their capital—a key component of their aspirations for statehood and alignment with U.N. resolutions. By endorsing Israeli annexations, the plan is widely regarded as a major setback for the two-state solution and Palestinian statehood ambitions.

The political framework of the plan based on:  a future of peace and prosperity for both Palestinians and Israelis, grounded in a realistic two-state solution. It seeks to safeguard Israel’s security, honour the Palestinian aspiration for self-determination, and ensure respectful, universal access to Jerusalem’s holy sites.

The proposal calls for mutual recognition of Israel as the Jewish nation-state and Palestine as the Palestinian nation-state, guaranteeing equal civil rights for all citizens. It outlines defensible borders for Israel without compromising its security, granting it overriding security control west of the Jordan River.

For Palestinians, the plan offers significant territorial expansion with land comparable in size to the West Bank and Gaza for a future state, connected by transportation links to ensure seamless movement between Gaza, the West Bank, and within Palestine. Importantly, it avoids displacing Israelis or Palestinians from their homes.

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