U.S. President Donald Trump on January 28th, 2020 proposed the creation of a Palestinian state with a capital in eastern Jerusalem, dependent on Palestinians taking steps to become self-governing, in an effort to achieve a peace breakthrough in their decades of conflict with Israel.
Senior administration officials, briefing Reuters on the plan the president announced at the White House, said that under Trump's proposed Middle East peace plan the United States will recognize Israeli settlements on the occupied West Bank.
In exchange, Israel would agree to accept a four-year freeze on new settlement activity while Palestinian statehood is negotiated.
"Today, Israel has taken a giant step toward peace," Trump said as he announced the plan at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side, saying he also sent a letter about it to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"This is a historic day," Netanyahu said, comparing Trump's peace plan to former President Harry Truman's 1948 recognition of the state of Israel. "On this day, you became the first world leader to recognize Israel's sovereignty over areas in Judea and Samaria that are vital to our security and central to our heritage," he added, using the Biblical names for the West Bank.
While Israeli leaders have welcomed Trump's long-delayed plan, Palestinian leaders had rejected it even before its official release, saying his administration was biased towards Israel.
The absence of the Palestinians from Trump's announcement is likely to fuel criticism that the plan tilts toward Israel's needs rather than those of the Palestinians.
Israeli-Palestinian talks broke down in 2014, and it was far from clear that the Trump plan will resuscitate them.
Netanyahu’s no-conditions ‘peace for peace' doctrine, legitimized by Trump, is great for the Gulf. But it’s irrelevant for Israel’s conflicts with its actual neighbors, not least the Palestinians
Question of who's next arises, as if Manama were a whistle-stop on Israel's normalization route leading to the final destination in Riyadh
Foreign powers call for ceasefire and emphasize women's right as negotiations open in Doha
According to excerpts from 'Rage' published by U.S. media, at a time when Trump was wondering if Israel was the obstacle to peace with the Palestinians, Netanyahu showed him a fake video to steer him away from pro-Palestinian sentiments
How do you safeguard Israelis who want to visit sites located a stone’s throw from Iran? Can Israeli security personnel carry arms? And, of course, what about annexation?
The media obediently promoted and amplified an illusory ‘breakthrough’ stage-managed by the Trump administration - while this week’s real peacemaker, Qatar, was sidelined
National Security Adviser O'Brien says the White House is 'committed to a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine,' after harsh criticism from Palestinians over Trump's Mideast proposal and Israel-UAE deal
The fears are understandable, but misplaced. Normalization with Gulf states hurts Iran, and strengthens Israel's defense far more than any plane
Normalization between Jerusalem and UAE paves way for sale of F-35s, notwithstanding Israeli reservations, and further sidelines the Palestinians.
Kushner says believes Netanyahu, Trump will discuss F-35 sale to UAE ■ Responding to Haaretz, Trump adviser says Palestinians should come to negotiating table
Direct flight between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi will fly over Saudi airspace, in first for Israeli commercial airliner
Despite Netanyahu's efforts, ties with the UAE, kicking off with a direct Tel Aviv-Abu Dhabi commercial flight on Monday, have not been met with the enthusiasm you'd expect from Israelis
Bahrain King stresses need for Palestinian peace as the U.S. Secretary of State makes his third stop on Mideast tour
Prime Minister Hamdok tells U.S. state secretary transitional government is not mandated to normalize ties
The way things are going, the Israeli prime minister might prefer Biden over the current occupant of the White House
Bruce Kashdan doesn’t seek publicity. Netanyahu, who does, once withdrew at the last minute from a UAE-type plan with a Gulf state
Fearing boycott and competition, Israeli cybersecurity companies have been courted by the UAE for some time, but they keep mum about it
Israel’s air superiority and qualitative military edge could be under threat - and who can trust Netanyahu to safeguard that anyway, after the submarine and gunships corruption scandals?
Senior Trump advisor calls on Palestinians to return to negotiating table now that annexation has been postponed
What the Emiratis can offer – oil, investment and arms deals – are worth less these days than the tech and tourism that Israel can provide
The old ways of hatred and wars have gained us nothing. Joining the new path of Arab-Israeli peace and cooperation would strengthen the Palestinians – and it would be a big win for Beirut, too
As Palestinians rage and the world shrugs its shoulders, Israel and the UAE forge ahead with an agreement based on business, security and a common enemy
Amid criticism that he broke key election promise, prime minister insists West Bank annexation only temporarily suspended
Palestinian President Abbas is paying the price for his decision to cut ties with the UAE, but now that the threat of Israeli annexation has receded, will Palestinian cooperation with Israel resume?
The UAE-Israel deal is great news for the United States. This is how the Emiratis, and Jared Kushner, helped Netanyahu climb down from his annexation talk – and how Israel won an outsized diplomatic payoff
Israel and United States court additional states, including Bahrain and Oman, to join talks ■ White House hoping for formal signing ceremony in Washington by September
The UAE deal is historic – and at home, Netanyahu made sure only he could take the credit
In the coming weeks, the two states are expected to announce a string of partnerships, as deals on the sidelines of the peace agreement start to take shape
'The normalization of relations and peaceful diplomacy will bring together two of America’s most reliable and capable regional partners,' reads text of joint announcement