By David Lazarus, Israel Today—
The long-anticipated details of the Trump Administration’s “Deal of the Century” is likely to stop short of giving the Palestinians a state, according to sources close to the White House cited by The Washington Post.
Sources say that the “Deal of the Century” will focus on Israel’s security concerns.
The Trump Administration is expected to present their proposal in the coming months for a resolution to the long-entrenched Palestinian problem. Behind-the-scenes over the past two years, Trump’s Middle East adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner has been shuttling back and forth between Israeli and Middle East leaders in secret meetings, and officials have kept many of the details of their talks secret. However, recent comments from Kushner and other US officials indicate that Palestinian statehood will not be on the table as a condition for restarting peace talks.
The Trump proposal will include financial incentives to improve the lives of Palestinian Arabs, people familiar with the effort said in the Post report. Arab officials around the Middle East have also confirmed that Kushner has suggested that economic opportunities for Palestinians will be a centerpiece of the plan.
The plan will attempt to provide sufficient measures to satisfy Israeli security concerns.
Trump has said he wants to overturn previous assumptions about how to resolve the conflict and come up with a realistic plan that works on the ground. “We believe we have a plan that is fair, realistic and implementable that will enable people to live better lives,” a senior White House official reportedly said Friday. “We looked at past efforts and solicited ideas from both sides and partners in the region with the recognition that what has been tried in the past has not worked. Thus, we have taken an unconventional approach founded on not hiding from reality, but instead speaking truth,” the official said. Continue Reading…
