Rumble
Stunning most Mideast analysts and pundits, President Trump says he will unveil his “Deal of the Century” peace plan this week during the Impeachment proceedings!
And he will also host a high profile, high stakes meeting with two senior Israeli leaders at the White House on Tuesday regarding the Peace Plan and Israel’s upcoming election; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz.
“It’s a great plan,” the President said aboard Air Force One, “It’s a plan that really would work.” Here’s what we know:
- Pence issued invitations to Netanyahu and opposition leader Benny Gantz while he was in Jerusalem on Thursday.
- Pence said Gantz was invited at the recommendation of Netanyahu. Pence made the announcement while on his first visit to the new American Embassy in Jerusalem.
- Pence is now the highest ranking American official to visit the new Embassy.
- White House goal by including Gantz: to create the widest possible acceptance of the plan from across the Israeli political spectrum.
- Jared Kushner and Avi Berkowitz are both architects of the plan among others
- Leaks throughout the Israeli media purport to have bombshell details contained in the plan — but for the moment it’s all speculation and rumor.
- Palestinian leaders are seething — one said, “No Palestinian can accept this dangerous conspiracy.”
- A livid Mahmoud Abbas said: “We warn Israel and the U.S. administration not to cross any red lines.”
- Very few of the 50 world leaders who came to Israel this week visited Abbas.
- Palestinian leaders have for more than a year shut down all contact with the White House and have done nothing to negotiate with the Trump administration and try to improve how the deal may affect them.
- Nevertheless, Trump says of his deal, “it’s actually very positive for them (the Palestinian people).
Three big questions emerging:
- First, will the vast majority of the Israeli people embrace the plan, or will it create new social and political divisions?
- Second, even though Abbas and his advisors will reject and denounce the plan, will any segment of the Palestinian people embrace it, or at least say that it is a reasonable starting point to begin negotiations?
- Third, how will the Gulf Arab states react? Egypt? Jordan? I’m watching these matters most closely of all.
