Having proposed a “deal of the century,” the United States, in fact, ignored the internationally recognized approach to a Middle East settlement. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Stampa.
“The USA, in its style, proposed“ in one fell swoop ”to solve one of the most long-standing conflicts of our time. At the same time, Washington essentially ignored the universally recognized international legal framework for a Middle East settlement, which includes the resolutions of the Security Council and the UN General Assembly, the Arab Peace Initiative, ”the minister said.
Lavrov also noted that Washington’s achievements, which provide for “solving all the key problems of the“ final status ”of the Palestinian territories - borders, settlements, East Jerusalem, refugees through unilateral concessions in favor of Israel”, are unlikely to “rectify the situation”.
“This is also indicated by the fact that the so-called“ deal of the century ”is categorically rejected by the Palestinians,” he added.
According to him, “for a real advance towards a just two-state settlement of the Palestinian question,” at least two factors are needed: “the genuine efforts of the Palestinians and Israelis themselves”, as well as “the most balanced and unbiased international support of the process.”
Recall, January 28, President of the United States Donald Trump presented his plan for a Middle East settlement. The "Deal of the Century" of the head of the White House involves the creation of two states - Jewish and Palestinian.
Trump proposed making Jerusalem "the single capital of Israel," while the capital of the state of Palestine "will be Al-Quds, which will include parts of East Jerusalem."
"The plan provides for the demilitarization of the Palestinian state and its peaceful coexistence with Israel, which will be responsible for ensuring security in the territories west of the Jordan River," the report said.
In addition, the “deal of the century” also implies that over time, with the support of the United States and Israel, “the responsibility of the Palestinians in the security sphere will be expanded,” while the activity of the Israeli side in this area will be reduced.
- US President Donald Trump
- Reuters
- © Leah Millis
The plan also contains a number of promises to the Palestinian side in exchange for its consent to agree to the conditions of the White House. In particular, Washington indicated the opportunity to double the territory occupied by the Palestinians, open an American embassy, develop “modern and efficient transport links for the unhindered movement of people and goods across the territory of the future state of Palestine,” as well as $ 50 billion in financial assistance.
“The plan provides Palestinians with the right to use and manage facilities in the ports of Haifa and Ashdod, develop a resort area on the northern shore of the Dead Sea, and continue agricultural activities in the Jordan Valley,” the summary of the plan says.
At the same time, the American leader at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House said that Palestine deserves a “better life”, but did not rule out that the US prepared plan could be the “last chance” for Palestinians to find their own state.
“A nightmare for the region and the world”
However, in Palestine the American initiative was not accepted. Last week Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas declared his disagreement to participate in the "deal of the century" during a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York. According to him, Trump’s proposal ignores the national rights of the Palestinians and deprives them of East Jerusalem as a capital.
“We do not accept this deal, which establishes the apartheid regime in Palestine, and we will oppose its implementation,” Abbas emphasized.
He also added that Palestine is committed to finding a peaceful solution to problems and is committed to implementing UN resolutions.
“Peace remains our strategic choice, and reaching a peaceful settlement between Palestinians and Israelis is still possible,” said the Palestinian leader.
Abbas also spoke about his attitude to the American initiative in early February, emphasizing then that negotiations with Israel on the basis of a “deal of the century” are impossible.
The League of Arab States (LAS) shared the position of Palestine and also opposed Trump's proposal. This is stated in a joint statement by the foreign ministers of the countries members of this international organization.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani did not support the ideas of the American side, calling them "the most disgusting plan of the century." In a similar vein, the head of the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Mohammad Javad Zarif, spoke out.
“The so-called deal of the century is just a dream project for a bankrupt developer. But this is a nightmare for the region and the world, ”he wrote on his Twitter page.
The so-called "Vision for Peace" is simply the dream project of a bankruptcy-ridden real estate developer.
But it is a nightmare for the region and the world
And, hopefully, a wake-up call for all the Muslims who have been barking up the wrong tree. # LetsUniteForPalestinianspic.twitter.com / j2CJ9JaH9c
Turkey also refused to support the White House proposal for a Palestinian-Israeli settlement. As President of the Republic Recep Tayyip Erdogan noted, such a plan “is by no means acceptable.”
“In favor of Israel”
Political scientists, in turn, believe that Trump’s initiative is "doomed to failure," because it "does not imply a fair approach to resolving the conflict." This provoked a negative reaction to the "deal of the century" from Palestine and other Middle Eastern countries, said Araik Stepanyan, a member of the Presidium of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems, in an interview with RT.
“According to Washington’s position, the situation should be changed exclusively in favor of Israel. The US does not take Palestinian opinions into account. In addition, the Trump plan does not take into account the history of this problem, which resolutions were adopted, as well as the positions of other states in the region, ”said Stepanyan.
In his opinion, Trump, speaking about the details of the “deal of the century”, made it clear to Palestine that if she does not agree to the conditions of the White House, she could suffer even greater losses.
“This is nothing but crude blackmail. Washington hoped that the Palestinians would eventually become hopeless and would follow the American side. However, the United States was hoping for nothing, ”said Stepanyan.
According to him, “even if the Americans try to force their plan on Palestine”, there are countries in the region that “will support it in every way in the fight for justice.”
“Iran will certainly stand up for the Palestinians and will render them any help. Turkey and Syria can also support Palestine in the political field, ”predicts Stepanyan.
In turn, Boris Dolgov, a leading researcher at the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, noted that, according to Trump’s plan, "the territory intended for the Palestinian state is being withdrawn to Israel."
“The Palestinians are left with barren and deserted lands. In addition, all settlements that are illegally created by the Israelis are legalized, ”the analyst explained in an interview with RT.
Boris Dolgov believes that the Russian Foreign Ministry "correctly evaluates the" deal of the century ", determining the real situation."
“Trump and the Israeli leadership hoped that the $ 50 million financial handout would work, but they missed,” the expert said.
Russian offer
It is worth noting that a couple of weeks after the details of the "deal of the century" were announced, Russia came up with its own initiative to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The Russian Foreign Ministry suggested "in the near future" to hold a meeting of the UN, EU, Russia and the United States at the level of special representatives to coordinate the actions of the world community.
- Russian Foreign Ministry
- RIA News
- © Alexey Maishev
“The role of an effective mediator should be taken by the international Quartet of the UN, EU, Russia and the USA, which is the only mechanism recognized by the UN Security Council to accompany the Middle East peace process,” the statement said.
As the Foreign Ministry emphasized, the unsettledness of the Palestinian problem remains one of the key factors of instability in the region, and the “deal of the century” proposed by the USA cannot be the basis for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli issue.
Palestine has already supported this proposal of the Russian side. Mahmoud Abbas noted that it can help the parties find a compromise.
“An international quartet of Russia, the United States, the European Union and the UN could organize a peace conference with the participation of Palestinians, Israel and other interested parties, which would develop a mechanism for the implementation of UN Security Council resolution No. 2334,” the Palestinian President emphasized.
In addition, Vasily Nebenzya, the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, said earlier that Moscow was not taking off its proposal to provide a platform for negotiations between the leaders of Israel and Palestine in the Russian capital. According to him, Russia is ready for close cooperation with Arab partners, Israel, the Palestinians and all interested parties in order to "facilitate a compromise solution."
Analysts assess Russian initiatives to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as more realistic and feasible than the "deal of the century" proposed by Trump.
As noted by Araik Stepanyan, Russia “has always tried to be impartial”, helping its partners to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
“Moscow is interested in the speedy resolution of this confrontation. While Washington only complicates matters. The Russian Federation acts as an impartial arbitrator who recognizes only the adopted UN Security Council resolutions and fair decisions, ”the expert concluded.