Trump’s “Deal of the Century” Is a Brazen Land Grab
Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, and many leading Democrats are touting the administration's Middle East peace plan. But the scheme is nothing but a brazen land grab that would deepen Israeli control while depriving millions of Palestinians of basic civil rights.
Israel’s separation wall can be seen next to the Palestinian Shuafat refugee camp on January 28, 2020 in Jerusalem, Israel.Lior Mizrahi / Getty
In a staged political melodrama on Tuesday, President Donald Trump, flanked by a smug Benjamin Netanyahu, released his vision for Middle East peace, hailing it as the “Deal of the Century.”
From Israel’s perspective, the Trump plan is indeed the deal of the century. As Israel’s prime minister put it: “It’s a great plan for Israel. It’s a great plan for peace.” For Palestinians, who were absent from the ceremony, the plan is nothing but a land-grabbing scheme hatched in broad daylight.
The Trump deal would place an undivided Jerusalem, including its Old City, under Israel’s control, and give Israel the right to annex all settlements as well as the Jordan Valley — nearly a fourth of the West Bank. Netanyahu has already pledged to seize all settlements and the Jordan Valley, which his government is expected to vote to annex this weekend.
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