Al-Araby al-Jadid, London, May 9
Everyone is waiting for the “Deal of the Century” to be published. Much has been said and written about the plan, whose publication has been postponed time and again, most recently due to the Israeli elections and the American fear that it would negatively impact the likelihood of Binyamin Netanyahu being reelected. To help Netanyahu win, the Trump Administration not only delayed the announcement of the plan, but also presented a gift to the Israeli government in the form of formal American recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Now, after Netanyahu won the elections and a right-wing government is slated to be installed, the US is finally expected present its much-anticipated plan. According to an interview given by the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, the plan is going to focus on “enhancing the economic benefits of the Palestinians and the security of Israel.” This almost surely means that the plan envisions full Israeli control over the West Bank, without any Palestinian sovereignty. Furthermore, the plan’s focus on economic development of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is nothing but an old trope that simply deflects attention from the most burning problems. After all, Netanyahu himself proposed a so-called “economic peace” plan back when he was first elected prime minister. This framing of the conflict only serves to shift attention away from the core political issues on the table, such as the status of Jerusalem or a return for Palestinian refugees. It is becoming clearer and clearer that Kushner’s peace plan consists of a sub-state Palestinian entity in the West Bank that is fully subordinate to Israel. It will also enable Israel to maintain its settlements in the West Bank and perhaps even provide full American recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over these territories. This leaves the Palestinian people with virtually no gains. The Trump Administration knows that this plan is a non-starter for any Palestinian leader, no matter how moderate. By cornering the Palestinian leadership and forcing it to accept a deal against its own will, Trump is hoping to portray the Palestinian people as ungracious and unthankful. This will enable him to “punish” the Palestinian Authority once it rejects the plan, with further cessation of US funding to Palestinian institutions and the removal of Palestine from international forums. The Israelis will be awarded yet another prize they don’t deserve, while the Palestinians will continue to be unjustifiably punished. – Samir Al-Zabin (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)