Trump's mistake is to assume that the Palestinian people will compromise their political rights in exchange for dollars.
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Economic prosperity is the key to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said Jared Kushner, the US president's son-in-law and senior adviser, at a conference in Manama, Bahrain. He also came up with a plan in that regard. However, the meeting started with a big bang and ended without any conclusion. The main reason for this is the failure of US President Trump and Jared Kushner to understand this argument. At the root of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the demand for an independent and sovereign nation. It has nothing to do with stunted economic growth or an economic emergency.
According to Kushner, many of the earlier attempts to bring peace to the area have failed miserably. Against this backdrop, the Trump administration has set out to address the issue in a new framework, setting aside political views and prioritizing economic interests. However, experts say there is nothing new in this plan. The World Bank has often made such 'financial' proposals at various stages.
Kushner plans to invest up to $50 billion in Palestine by creating a conducive environment for investment. He says half of the proceeds from the investment will be spent on Palestinian development and half on Palestinian refugees living in neighboring countries. The aim is for the countries concerned to make the most of economic development and prepare themselves for future political compromises.
Kushner, however, declined to say exactly how the obstacles to peace would be overcome. Kushner did not utter a word about the demand for declaring Palestine a sovereign state by making East Jerusalem the capital of Palestine. He also refrained from talking about the right of Palestinian refugees to return home. However, it is impossible for Israel to accede to these Palestinian demands, and it is difficult to imagine that the Palestinians would accept Kushner or Trump's formula of peace, given that the current US government is completely leaning towards Tel Aviv.
Khushner's proposal has been rejected by both the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the West Bank, which is surrounded by Israel and Jordan, and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. 'The US is forcing us to surrender for the sake of petty gain. Before doing so, the United States should disclose the key points of its proposed peace agreement, Palestinian groups say. According to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the $50 billion carrots that Mr. Kushner is showing us can be raised by PLOs from Arab donors on their own.
Kushner is adamant that any peace agreement between Palestine and Israel will not be based on bi-nationalism and the geographical situation before 1967. That is not acceptable to Palestine. That is why it is fundamentally wrong to assume that the Palestinian people will compromise their political rights in exchange for a few billion dollars. Trump, who is an entrepreneur but not yet a mature political leader, has made the same mistake. The plight of Palestinian refugees has worsened since the United States cut off financial aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Not only that, but countries that offer asylum to Palestinian refugees have also rejected Kushner's offer of financial lure.
Lebanon, which is facing a severe economic crisis, has also rejected $6 billion of the US 50 billion. Even the most divisive political parties in Lebanon have unanimously rejected the offer. The political system in Lebanon, which is based on sectarianism, is extremely fragile. They have sheltered Sunni Muslims in Palestine. It is impossible to accept Palestinian refugees as citizens in exchange for the financial compensation offered by Kushner, Lebanon's political leaders told ORF. Doing so would upset the social balance in Lebanon and have a serious impact on politics here.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have weighed heavily on Israel in exchange for US aid against Iran. However, they too had to be very careful in making that decision. The United States decided last year to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognize the city as part of Israel. The recognition of the Syrian Golan Heights as an Israeli territory was an attempt by the United States to undermine Palestine's claim to Jerusalem as its future capital. The Arab countries were so upset. Although the Arab countries did not get along with the United States, it is certain that they went on the backfoot.
At the recent 14th Summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, various countries commented on Palestine-Israel relations. It was reiterated that no compromise would be made on the terms of binationalism. The policies of Jared Kushner and Trump were strongly ridiculed. Trump-cushioners are trying to simplify the questions that the good leaders of the world are confused about. This indicates that they are not aware of this question.
The US and Israel's revenues in pursuing this policy are so great that it is likely that Arab businessmen who have so far considered Israel an outcast will openly trade with Israel. In a way, this is tantamount to acknowledging the existence of Israel. This will be the first step for Arab countries. Speaking to Israeli journalists at the end of the conference, the Bahraini foreign minister described Israel as a country in the Middle East. How many times have you heard this from an Arab official?
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