The two politicians referred to the initiative during a public appearance at the White House, in which they highlighted the proposal as positive for both parties, without mentioning that the US executive’s plan has long been criticized by Palestinians and experts in the region, who foresaw a bias in favor of Israel.
According to Trump, the controversial initiative, elaborated in the last three years under the leadership of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, presents a ‘contiguous’ territory for a Palestinian state once the appropriate conditions are met, among them what he called ‘rejection of terrorism.’
According to the American president, the initiative, which would open a transition phase towards a two-state solution, ‘will more than double the Palestinian territory’ and provide a Palestinian capital in portions of East Jerusalem.
But the proposal establishes that Israel has full control of Jerusalem as its capital, added the president, with whose government the Palestinians suspended contacts after his decision in late 2017 to recognize that city of great importance to both parties as the Israeli capital.
Trump added that the plan calls on the Palestinian Authority to adopt «basic laws» to protect human rights, stop the activities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, end what he called financial compensation to terrorists and stop incitement against Israel, which should be recognized as a «Jewish state.
rly/apz/oda/mar
