By RYAN JONES, ISRAEL TODAY—
That US President Donald Trump devoted a portion of his Charleston, West Virginia rally on Tuesday to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process suggests that he intends to very soon unveil his Mideast peace plan, dubbed by Trump himself as the “deal of the century.”
During the remarks, Trump reiterated that Israelis will be none-too-pleased by the demands made of their nation.
Ever since last December, when Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel, and especially since May 14 of this year, when the US Embassy was moved to the Holy City, Israelis have feared there would be a steep diplomatic price to pay for the American leader’s unprecedented gesture.
On Tuesday, Trump validated those fears in no uncertain terms.
Trump told the crowd that he had fully gotten behind the Israeli position by taking Jerusalem “off the table,” a reference to Israel’s demand that the city remain united under Israeli sovereignty as part of any final status peace deal.
“In past negotiations, they never got past Jerusalem,” noted Trump. “Now Israel will have to pay a higher price, because it’s off the table. The Palestinians will get something very good, because it’s their turn next.”
It’s that “something very good” that has Israelis concerned, because most of the Palestinian red-line demands pose very real existential threats to Israel’s future as the Jewish state. Continue Reading…
