President Trump set to reveal Middle East peace plan
Trump administration plan gives Israel security control over the Jordan Valley in the eastern part of West Bank and sovereignty over West Bank settlements; chief White House correspondent John Roberts reports.
President Trump will push for a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as he unveils the details of his administration’s much-awaited Middle East peace plan Tuesday, White House officials told Fox News.
Trump is set to announce the proposal alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during remarks in the East Room of the White House at noon Tuesday. Odds of the peace plan taking shape are long, given that the Palestinians have preemptively rejected the plan.
But White House officials described the plan as realistic and said Israel is prepared to act. According to White House officials, the plan calls for a two-state solution including the state of Israel and the “future” state of Palestine. Under the plan, the Palestinians would have to reach certain benchmarks to achieve a state. Those benchmarks include rooting out terrorism, stopping what they call “pay to slay,” implementing steps toward free speech, and other political reforms.
Also Read: Trump defense team takes on Hunter Biden directly, as Dershowitz offers constitutional defense
The plan is a basis for negotiations with Israel, Trump officials said, claiming many of the Palestinians’ red lines are met, including their calls for a Palestinian state and a capital in parts of East Jerusalem.
The vision calls for more than doubling the amount of territory the Palestinians control.
The plan also includes a map of a contiguous Palestinian state in the West Bank, with a proposed tunnel to connect the West Bank and Gaza strip. There would also be land swaps south of Gaza to give the Palestinians more territory.
This is the first time Israel has agreed to a Palestinian state with defined borders.
A small strip of land between the Egyptian border and the proposed land swap areas south of Gaza would remain Israeli territory and be subject to Israeli security control. This was requested by Egypt as a buffer against cross-border terrorism.
As part of the plan, Israel has agreed to halt settlement construction for four years.
The plan calls for a demilitarized Palestinian state. Israel will maintain overall security, though it does create programs for the Palestinians to show the capability to secure their areas, including a local police force. The more the Palestinians show they can secure their areas and co-operate with Israel, the less Israel will have to do in terms of maintaining security, the officials said.
Israel will maintain sovereignty of the Jordan Valley east of the West Bank, according to the proposal. Israel will also maintain the security of the area.
There is a plan that over time, Palestinians would be able to achieve some civil sovereignty in the Jordan Valley, like farming, officials said.
While the Palestinians have been negative toward the plan, White House officials said Trump believes they will begin to move toward it.
Also Read: Trump says peace talks with Taliban have resumed during surprise visit to Afghanistan
Both Netanyahu and his political challenger, Benny Gantz, have agreed to implement this plan, regardless of the outcome of the upcoming March 2 election.
The officials portrayed the plan as Israel agreeing to massive concessions without jeopardizing its security, amounting to a serious good-faith effort that Israel has agreed to negotiate. The officials said the plan is realistic and Israel is prepared to follow through with it.
They also argue that the Trump administration’s moves to relocate the embassy and recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan were important confidence-building measures that led to this plan.
The Palestinians, though, refuse to even speak to Trump, saying he’s biased in favor of Israel, and they are calling on Arab representatives to reject the Tuesday event at the White House.
The Palestinian leadership also has encouraged protests in the West Bank, raising fears that the announcement in Washington could spark a new round of violence. Ahead of the announcement, the Israeli military said it was reinforcing infantry troops along the Jordan Valley.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.