2 Shevat 5780
28 January 2020
Today’s Blog:
Continuing Updates on the Rollout of the Trump Peace Plan
Today’s blog will consist of updates on the Trump Peace Plan which was released at 12 pm EST (7 pm Israel time).
Update 9 pm Israel time
The Trump Peace Plan has been rolled out to rousing applause at the White House. Both President Trump and PM Netanyahu delivered powerful addresses attesting to the formation and aspirations of the Plan. Significant among the people in the room were the Ambassadors to the U.S. of Oman, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates.
As we begin to analyze the Plan today, an analysis that will take a long time over a few days because it encompasses 80 pages of details, let’s look at just a brief overview:
Time Frame and conditions:
There is a 4 year window for the Palestinians to fulfill these conditions (among others): recognition of Israel as a Jewish state; cessation of incitement against Israel; cessation of payments to Palestinian terrorists in Israeli prisons; disarming Hamas and Islamic Jihad and other terror groups in Gaza and Areas A and B; agreement that the IDF will be in control of security and have the right of flyovers of the entire area from the Jordanian border to the Mediterranean Sea; undertake measures to root out corruption and guarantee freedom of religion, speech, and the press.
If these conditions are fulfilled, the U.S. will recognize Palestine as an independent country, arrange for $50 billion in economic aid to the Palestinians, and establish an American Embassy in the capital of the new “Palestine.”
Borders of the new Palestinian state:
“Palestine” would consist of Areas A and B of Judea and Samaria, about 70% of Area C, Gaza, and (to compensate the Palestinians for parts of Area C) an additional piece of land running along the Egyptian border adjacent to Gaza. All told, the area of new “Palestine” would be roughly double what is now under Palestinian control. A variety of means (roads, tunnels, etc) would connect these areas.
Jewish communities and Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan valley:
All of these communities will be under Israeli sovereignty through application of Israeli law/annexation. Included in these communities are 15 communities which are considered “isolated.” These isolated communities will be “enclaves” in the new Palestine state.
It is somewhat unclear what the Plan allows in terms of construction. Apparently, construction is allowed within communities during the next four years, but no construction is allowed outside of existing community borders.
Jerusalem:
Jerusalem–on the western side of the security fence including the Old City–will remain undivided and under Israeli sovereignty. The status quo will be maintained on the Temple Mount.
Arab neighborhoods on the northern and eastern sides of the security fence such as Abu Dis, most of Shuafat, and Kafr Akab will become part of Palestine–and the Palestinians may choose any of these areas as their capital.
Refugees:
A limited number of the supposed 5,000,000+ Palestinian refugees will be allowed into “Palestine.” No Palestinian “refugees” will be allowed into Israel.
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Redrawn borders:
There is the possibility that the so-called “Arab Triangle” consisting of the Israeli-Arab cities of Baka al-Gharbiya, Arara, Umm el-Fahm, and Kafr Kara will be included in the new Palestinian state. This would be accomplished by redrawing the borders of Israel.
Summary
What PM Netanyahu has accomplished is nothing short of remarkable. On every major issue, the Trump Administration supports Israel and recognizes the reality of the situation. There are reports that Israel will begin the process of applying sovereignty as of Sunday’s morning’s Cabinet meeting.
Of course, the Palestinians are rejecting this plan out of hand. But even if they never accept it, the Trump Peace Plan has dramatically changed the landscape of Israel and the parameters of any discussion about peace.
For that, PM Netanyahu and President Trump (along with Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt) must be heartily applauded.
Today was a historic moment in the life of modern Israel.
Update 6 pm Israel time
The immunity game is over . . .
It was obvious from the beginning that PM Netanyahu could not obtain 61 votes in the Knesset to gain immunity from prosecution while the Knesset is in session. As we mused on several occasions, the only possible reason for Netanyahu to file such a request was to delay his indictment in Cases 1000, 2000, and 4000 until after the Trump Peace Plan was released.
Netanyahu withdrew his request yesterday.
And then, in what can only be described as a petty political move, Attorney General Mandelblit rushed to the Jerusalem Magistrate Court this morning and filed the formal indictments–making sure that he did so before the Trump plan will be revealed at noon.
Defense Minister Naftali Bennett spoke for many of us when released this series of tweets today:
“I can’t understand why the Attorney General hurried to immediately indict Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is now in the midst of a historic event in Washington DC. Why should they humiliate Prime Minister Netanyahu precisely when he is abroad, representing us all, including all the citizens of Israel? You could wait two days for his return to Israel. While Prime Minister Netanyahu and I disagree with certain things and even preside over two competing parties, he is the prime minister of all of us and his honor is the honor of the entire State of Israel.”
The Palestinians resort to violence, again . . .
A few scenes from Areas A and B of Judea and Samaria, and Gaza, in the last 24 hours:
The same Arafat lookalike that you saw yesterday taking aim at Netanyahu in the streets of Gaza.
From Hevron:
Palestinians burned Israeli flags everywhere.
In Rafah:
Trump was the target in Rafah.
And on and on.
A student from Malawi, who had worked with an Israeli health volunteer in his country battling AIDS, came up to us as we walked down the street in the UC-Davis Picnic Day Parade and wanted to carry the Israeli flag.