Tuesday, January 28, 2020

The Palestinians Aren't Interested in Trump's Peace Plan - Or Anyone Else's

People who may be inclined to criticize President Trump's long awaited Middle East peace plan because the Palestinians rejected it out of hand ought to keep in mind the Palestinians always reject peace plans with Israel.

If Palestinians genuinely wanted peace with Israel there would be no BDS movement which demands the return of all Arab lands and the right of return of Palestinian refugees who unlike any other refugees in the world can be born and raised in the United States.

If Palestinians genuinely wanted peace with Israel the Palestinian Authority and Hamas would not name schools, streets and soccer fields after those who murder Jewish civilians.

If Palestinians genuinely wanted peace with Israel they would acknowledge Israel's existence.

The only way I can see Trump's peace plan having any viability is if the Arab states bring pressure to bear on the Palestinians. The Arab states have been friendlier to Israel in recent years given the common threat of Iran so it could be of some help. But even if they do they won't necessarily present a united front. I suspect most Arab states won't recognize Israel beyond pre-1967 borders which would be a complete non-starter for Israel.

Trump's peace plan might help him domestically in that it would put his potential Democratic presidential rivals of defending the Palestinians as Elizabeth Warren has already done (she claims it offers no real hope for a Palestinian state) and I'm sure Bernie Sanders will do as will Joe Biden given his historically difficult relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu. While most Jews will vote Democrat, there might be enough Jews sufficiently uneasy with the Democrats' increasingly pro-Palestinian position to either vote for Trump or stay home on Election Day.

Although Trump's peace plan is more sympathetic to Israel than most I'm sure it will go to the same place all others before it have gone - nowhere. That's because the Palestinians are happy right where they are wallowing in false victimhood instead of being in awkward position of running a failed state.

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