Trump’s peace vision biased, holds no future — pundits

AMMAN — Jordanian political pundits have rejected US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan, labelling it as disregarding of the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the basis of the two-state solution. 

Former minister Samih Maaytah said that the US deal "does not include true peace elements; it is a biased composition that cares more about Israel's safety requirements rather than the right of Palestinians, the people who are dealt injustice and whose lands are occupied".

"A core problem of the plan’s construction is that it does not include a true independent Palestinian state and does not offer a satisfactory solution to Jerusalem, nor tackle the issue of Palestinian refugees, thus giving Israelis what they want," Maaytah told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

Jordan's stance is “simple and powerful”, and one which is based on the peace process as the only way to establish peace in the region, but only through a two-state solution and international legitimacy that gives Palestinians their basic rights, Maaytah said. 

"Jordan's stance is crystal clear in rejecting any alternative plans, and the Kingdom stands behind Palestinians in their cause," the analyst said.

He concluded that the deal in its current form has no future whatsoever because it does not entail peace.

For his part, Professor Jamal Shalabi who teaches political science at the Hashemite University said: "The deal does not represent any legal, political or international visions, but only represents two allied countries, Israel and the US, and thus it considers only them, which indicates its illegitimate implementation".

The deal did not include the Palestinians’ interests nor consider their presence, which makes it invalid, Shalabi said, noting that many countries do not see any legitimacy and legality in the plan, and thus it has no future. 

“Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Golan Heights are still under the Israeli occupation, and the deal has offered nothing, so nothing has changed in regards to the Palestinian cause, except for turning reality into written words,” Shalabi said.

Shalabi stressed that His Majesty’s three noes, “No alternative homeland, no settlement and no meddling with the Hashemite Custodianship of Jerusalem”, are clear.

Jordan rejects this whole deal, as it does not adopt the stance of establishing an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital, Shalabi said.

“Perhaps we should thank President Trump for this deal for making the Palestinian cause resurface as the top priority of Arab countries and international affairs, also enhancing solidarity between Jordanians and Palestinians”.

President of the Jordan Medical Association Ali Obous said that those who observed Trump and Netanyahu’s deal closely can easily discern the “century-long conspiracy”, which began with dividing the people through the Sykes-Picot Agreement, making the cause lose its strategic depth, and leaving the burden to fall solely on Jordanians and Palestinians.

Obous said “the way Trump and Netanyahu worded the deal is an attempt to tamper with history, geography and culture, seeking to seize all land for themselves, abolishing and violating the importance of the whole Palestinian cause”.

“They took 100 per cent and gave 0 per cent when they announced that Jerusalem will be under Israel’s control and offered no solution to Palestinian refugees, leaving nothing for the cause except for promises of harmony and investment,” Obous said. 

He added that the money for said investments “came from Arab countries in the first place”.

“They promise to give a good life and investments, while they dissect the main historical and geographical components of the cause,” the association president said. 

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said in a statement following the announcement of the US vision for peace that the national interests of Jordan and its established and unwavering position towards the Palestinian issue governs the way the government deals with all proposals and initiatives aimed at resolving the conflict.