Palestinians rejected the US peace plan. It was rejected before it was announced, and I think it is a big mistake. This plan is ultimately different than all previous proposed peace plans: For the first time, it translates the situation on the ground which favors Israel and does not look to engage in never ending negotiations like all the previous ones. It is a different US approach yet should not have been rejected by the Palestinians.
Throughout their struggle for statehood, Palestinians have lost peace opportunities even the ones that proposed negotiated solutions. Sometimes due to regional pressure such as Hafez Al Assad threatening Yasser Arafat of death if he joined the Camp David agreement before a final status for the Golan Heights. Sometimes due to internal infighting between different factions the latest between Fateh and Hamas which was initiated by the Iranian regime. Sometimes due to terrible events such as the assassination of Itzhak Rabin at the hands of an Israeli extremist. Regardless of the cause, the opportunities for a final status have always been lost willingly or unwillingly. Lost, not because of Jerusalem but because of the fight for influence and regional supremacy.
I will agree that the historical situation is sad for Palestinians. You may call this plan an annexation; you may call it one sided. But I will ask you: What is the alternative for the Palestinians and three coming generations? What do you see that would enable them to reach a better deal? What change can they expect to reverse the “rapport de force” on the ground? Can they do what Egypt did in the October war? Can they create a complete change in world support that would force Israel to dismantle all settlements and evacuate Jerusalem? I do not see this happen in the coming 50 years. So, is it worth losing the next 3 generations of Palestinian to poverty, precarious living and insecurity? Populist voices have compared the situation to South Africa’s Apartheid. Does this mean that they are looking for a one state solution whose majority will be Palestinians? It is also wishful thinking. Especially as Hamas and the Jihad keep using terrorism at the order of the IRGC and keep sending children to certain death.
I understand my views are extremely unpopular mostly because populism is easy. Yet life for Palestinians is hard. Ultimately, this plan if accepted by all Palestinian political forces shows a true pathway to statehood and an immediate better life for Palestinians. It also gives an East Jerusalem capital solution that preserves the symbolism. A better life for Palestinians means the capacity to live in peace, access to education, and above all safety. With time and trust, bridges will be built, and walls will come down. Loss is not eternal; history is full of examples of countries rebuilding and becoming stronger. Ultimately, it is time to give value to the Palestinian people and not only the land and cause. I think that President Trump’s plan overseen by Jared Kushner is giving a historical opportunity to change things.
My unpopular opinion that this plan needs to be discussed and accepted is mainly because I consider this war to be lost. Palestinians lost. Arabs lost. Not the battle but the war. This plan translates the situation. It is time to accept it, build a new future and live in peace.
I also consider that the reason for this loss is regional interference mainly by the Iranian regime that enabled the Israelis to expand and create this situation. Interference and trading the “cause” for influence has been a constant in the last 40 years of the conflict. The end of the cold war did not change anything. Syria with the support of Iran has controlled various Palestinian factions to block peace or true achievements. It even traded the Golan Heights for the riches of Lebanon in 1976. Iran has supported Hamas and the Jihad to sabotage serious initiatives as well as undermine and threaten the Palestinian Authority. Yet, today the Peace Process is no longer the main file of the Middle East and doesn’t hold the same importance in the face of regional developments.
It is for all these reasons, that Palestinians should accept the deal of the Century.
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