Palestinian Authority Cuts Ties With Israel, U.S. Following Latest Peace Plan
Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas (Wikipedia)
Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas announced on February 1 that the Palestinian Authority (PA) has cut all ties, including security relations, with Israel and the United States in response to the latest Middle East peace plan proposal. Unveiled on January 28 by the Trump administration as “Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of Palestinian and Israeli People,” the president described the framework as “a realistic two-state solution” that will secure a “win-win opportunity” for both Israel and Palestine. The plan drew a divided response: while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded it as “the deal of the century,” Palestinian authorities resoundingly rejected the plan.
Although Israeli-Palestinian peace plans have been proposed multiple times by the United Staes in the past, the latest plan has been met with particular resistance by Palestinians.
On one hand, the plan gives Israel undivided control over Jerusalem. The move is controversial as the city, due to its immense cultural, religious, and political significance, is claimed by both Israelis and Palestinians as their capital city. This hotly disputed status led most states to locate their Israeli embassies in Tel Aviv. However, when President Donald Trump challenged this status quo in 2018 by relocating the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, it caused similar concerns that the United States was favoring Israeli claims to the city. This plan, as many observers have pointed out, seems to confirm this fear.
Additionally, the peace plan significantly decreases Palestinian territory. According to the peace plan, the state of Israel on the proposed map cuts significantly into the current West Bank. The plan does not require that Israel withdraw from Jewish settlements in Palestinian territories. Since these settlements are considered illegal under international law, the plan has caused significant uproar.
The plan also requires the Palestinians to significantly demilitarize Gaza and the West Bank and allows Israel to retain security control west of the Jordan River. Although the demilitarization process was focused on having the PA disarm terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, it nonetheless angered Palestinian leaders.
In a one-day emergency meeting convened in Cairo by the Arab League, which supports the Palestinians’ rejection of Trump’s blueprint, Abbas called the plan a “disgrace” and announced that the PA has “informed the Israeli side... that there will be no relations at all with them and the United States including security ties.” In an official statement, the Arab League, which consists of leaders from twenty-two Arab-speaking states, said that it "rejects the U.S.-Israeli 'deal of the century' considering that it does not meet the minimum rights and aspirations of Palestinian people."
International reaction to the plan has been mixed. In a UN Security Council draft resolution obtained by Reuters, the committee condemned “recent statements calling for annexation by Israel.” Similarly, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, criticized the plan for deviating from “internationally agreed parameters.” Support for the plan varied among Arab states, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Oman (which are close allies of the United States) expressing tacit support for the plan. Saudi Arabia and Egypt, who also count themselves as close Middle Eastern allies of the United States, stated that they appreciated the plan’s efforts without commenting on the specifics of its contents. Jordan, on the other hand, reaffirmed its commitment to Palestinian territories along the 1967 lines and warned Israel from annexing Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Tensions are steadily building in Israel and Palestine following the peace plan’s release. On February 6, an unnamed Palestinian drove his truck into a group of Israeli soldiers in Tel Aviv, injuring 14. Earlier that same day, two Palestinians were killed in a clash with Israeli security forces in the West Bank. Palestinian territories, and the West Bank in particular, are seeing a stream of protests against the plan. As diplomatic relations between Palestinian, Israeli, and U.S. authorities turn sour, tensions are not likely to de-escalate in the coming days.