Trump to Unveil Mideast Peace Plan
By VOA News January 27, 2020
U.S. President Donald Trump says his long-awaited Middle East peace plan "makes a lot of sense for everybody," but the Palestinians are already rejecting it.
Trump says he will announce the details Tuesday during a joint appearance at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump met with Netanyahu Monday and also with the prime minister's chief political rival Benny Gantz. Both are facing off in a March general election in Israel, the third in the past year. Neither was able to form a government after two previous elections.
Netanyahu has been indicted for alleged corruption and his political future is in jeopardy.
It is unclear how much of the peace plan Trump revealed to the two Israeli leaders, Monday, but Netanyahu said it is a chance to "make history and define Israel's borders." He also praised Trump for making the U.S. - Israeli alliance "stronger than ever."
Trump later met with Gantz who called the peace deal "a significant and historic milestone" and one he looks forward to implementing if he becomes the next Israeli prime minister.
The Trump administration has been working on a peace plan since it took office in 2017 – one Trump has promised would be the "deal of the century." He says he has put off revealing it because of what he says is political uncertainty in Israel.
But the Palestinians have refused to work with the U.S. and have dismissed the peace plan even before it has been publically released. Palestinians are furious with Trump for recognizing Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and moving the U.S. embassy there. Palestinians want east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.
They are also angry at Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's recent declaration that Jewish settlements in the West Bank are legal.
The U.S. released the economic portion of the peace plan last year a call for $50 billion in international investment in the Palestinian territories and neighboring Arab areas.
The Palestinians say they are insulted that some people believe you can just throw money at them without talking about a two-state solution.
"We reject it and we demand the international community not be a partner to it because it contradicts the basics of international law and inalienable Palestinian rights," Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh says.
Trump said Monday he expects the Palestinians to initially reject the peace deal. "I think in the end they're going to want it. It's very good for them."
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