Trump’s plan to resolve the Israeli Palestinian conflict
Greece (Brussels Morning Newspaper) After the occupation of Aleppo, another war between Israelis and Palestinians enters the history’s closet. Just like Ukraine before him, the plan to close this chapter has already been decided and designed by Trump’s staff. Or not.
Trump aims to explore every opportunity to achieve historic normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. However, Saudi officials maintain that establishing a Palestinian state, as outlined in prior international agreements, with East Jerusalem as its capital, is a fundamental prerequisite for lasting peace and stability in the region. They warn that without such a resolution, ongoing cycles of violence will continue to undermine prospects for normalized relations.
An ill-cooked Plan
Donald Trump plans to revisit the proposal he introduced in 2020 to address the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, signalling a significant departure from traditional U.S. policy and international norms. The plan heavily favours Israel, moving away from the long-standing land-for-peace principle that has shaped past negotiations.
The plan acknowledges Palestinian rights to approximately 70% of the West Bank and includes provisions for land swaps. However, it rejects the concept of “1-to-1 land swaps,” stating that Palestinians would not gain 100% of the territory from before 1967. Instead, the plan proposes territory that is “reasonably comparable” to the pre-1967 borders.
It permits Israel to annex large portions of the occupied West Bank, including Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley, while recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s “undivided capital.” This effectively dismisses Palestinian claims to East Jerusalem as their capital—a key component of their aspirations for statehood and alignment with U.N. resolutions. By endorsing Israeli annexations, the plan is widely regarded as a major setback for the two-state solution and Palestinian statehood ambitions.
The political framework of the plan based on: a future of peace and prosperity for both Palestinians and Israelis, grounded in a realistic two-state solution. It seeks to safeguard Israel’s security, honour the Palestinian aspiration for self-determination, and ensure respectful, universal access to Jerusalem’s holy sites.
The proposal calls for mutual recognition of Israel as the Jewish nation-state and Palestine as the Palestinian nation-state, guaranteeing equal civil rights for all citizens. It outlines defensible borders for Israel without compromising its security, granting it overriding security control west of the Jordan River.
For Palestinians, the plan offers significant territorial expansion with land comparable in size to the West Bank and Gaza for a future state, connected by transportation links to ensure seamless movement between Gaza, the West Bank, and within Palestine. Importantly, it avoids displacing Israelis or Palestinians from their homes.
The biggest problem in this particular case is that a country that does not belong to the region but is a superpower is called upon to find a solution in negotiations and to divide territories. Lands that are not just dry land, monuments and stones. They are areas important for the social and cultural inheritance of both peoples.
Areas where communities possess perhaps the greatest capital of any wealth, value of peace or freedom. The wealth of historical and national identity.
The prize is Iran
Amid conflict and regional conflicts, the diplomats and leaders of the two communities are asked to take into account the pressure from the East. As a bigger threat than a war between Israelis and Palestinians, is the strengthening of Iran.
The biggest villain in the region after Osama Bin Laden was never Al Qaeda, but Iran. A regional power which decided to come to a regional spat with the Israelis and the Americans. For the right and wrong reasons. Trump has not forgotten the abdication of his previous term and is about to send the bill, albeit belatedly.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump intends to escalate the “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, focusing on reducing its oil exports and limiting its regional influence. According to former officials, the Trump transition team is discussing plans to impose a new round of stringent economic sanctions on Iran, further targeting its oil industry while increasing support for Israel. The strategy involves isolating Iran, intensifying economic pressure, and upholding a credible military threat to serve as a deterrent.
It’s not just a coincidence that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his intention to shift Israel’s attention toward Iran. This development comes against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Middle East and Iran’s military collaboration with Russia. Concerns persist that a full-scale conflict could erupt between Israel and its longstanding adversary, Iran, despite a ceasefire currently in place in Lebanon involving Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.
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