Palestinian PM Tells Munich Conference Trump Plan will be ‘Buried’

In a speech devoid of surprises, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh told the Munich Security Conference over the weekend that the US Middle East peace plan “will be buried.” He dismissed the proposal as nothing more than a “memorandum of understanding” between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Referring to the upcoming election in Israel, Shtayyeh likened the difference between Netanyahu and centrist challenger Benny Gantz to the “difference between Coca-Cola and Pepsi.” The Palestinians point to American support for the Israeli position in a number of issues enumerated in the Trump “vision for peace” as proof that the US is not an appropriate overseer for the peace process. The plan has, however, apparently united the frequently disparate views of various Palestinian factions – thousands of Palestinians have been demonstrating in the streets of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in support of the PA’s rejection of the deal.