PA President Mahmoud Abbas and US President Donald Trump in May 2017. (Flash90)
White House slams Palestinian negotiator’s misleading “peace document”, calling it an inaccurate representation of Trump’s peace plan.
By: Margot Dudkevitch, World Israel News
The White House has rejected a 93-page document purporting to represent the US peace plan, drawn up by Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat and presented to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. According to a Channel Ten report Friday, the document led to the enraged speech made by Abbas last week in Ramallah against US President Donald Trump and his administration.
American officials in the White House called Erekat’s document inaccurate, saying it is regrettable that certain people were trying to mislead and incite Palestinian leadership with a plan masquerading as Trump’s strategy, which has not yet been finalized.
According to Erekat’s document, the US proposal would see the establishment of a Palestinian capital outside of Jerusalem, possibly in Abu Dis, a town on the outskirts of Israel’s capital city. The plan also stated the Palestinian state would be demilitarized with a strong police force, but that overall security responsibility in Judea and Samaria would remain in Israel’s hands. An Israeli military presence would be maintained in the Jordan Valley and also at key vantage points throughout the Judea and Samaria.
Erekat’s document also suggested that Israel would retain 10 percent of Judea and Samaria, but a decision concerning the final borders of a Palestinian state would be worked out between the two sides.
The Palestinians would reportedly receive control of certain sections of Ben Gurion International Airport and the ports of Haifa and Ashdod. A regular passage between the Judea and Samaria and Gaza would be created but remain under Israeli security control.
Palestinian “refugees” would be allowed to settle in the Palestinian state but not in Israel. Erekat’s document also stated that a timetable would be set for negotiations, though no deadline would be given for an Israeli military withdrawal once a deal is reached.
Earlier this month in an interview on Palestinian Authority radio, Erekat said talks to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or resume negotiations would be unacceptable as long as President Trump’s statements concerning Jerusalem are not reversed.
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