Source: (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Joined by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at
the White House Tuesday afternoon, President Donald Trump announced a new
Middle East peace plan between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
"This vision for peace is fundamentally different
from past proposals," Trump said. "Complex problems require nuances,
fact based remedies."
“I was not elected to do small things or shy away from
big problems," he said.
The plan is 80-pages long and according to Trump, is the
most comprehensive and detailed ever put forward by the United States. It has
been endorsed by Netanyahu and his political opponent, Benny Gantz. Both met
with Trump yesterday to go over final details.
Peace to Prosperity |
The White House
President Trump’s vision
for peace between Israel and the Palestinians is a realistic path to
prosperity, security, and dignity for all involved.
"Mr. Prime Minister thank you for having the courage
to take this bold step forward," Trump said. "We are not here to
lecture—we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to
be, or how to worship. Instead, we are here to offer partnership – based
on shared interests and values – to pursue a better future for us
all."
The plan puts a freeze on Israeli settlements for four
years, gives Israel sovereignty over the Golan Heights and the Jordan Valley
and keeps holy sites in Jerusalem under Israeli security control. The
Palestinians, when they meet a list of standards, will be given additional
sovereignty of double the territory they occupy now and will see a tunnel
connecting Gaza and the West Bank.
Senior White House advisor Jared Kushner, who worked
extensively on the plan, was in attendance along with Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, Treasury Secretary Steven
Mnuchin and former Senator Joe Lieberman. Ambassadors from Oman, the UAE and
Bahrain were also in attendance.
"We are asking the Palestinians to meet the
challenge of peaceful coexistence," Trump said, issuing a list of
conditions for statehood. "We will also work to create a contiguous
territory within the future Palestinian state for when the conditions for statehood
are met, including the firm rejection of terrorism."
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is responding to the
plan, which he refused to participate in or negotiate, by meeting with
terrorist organizations Hamas and Islamic Jihad. As the deal was announced, the
U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem issued a security notice.
