US to release Israel-Palestine peace plan details 'within days'

US to release Israel-Palestine peace plan details 'within days'
Israeli leaders Netanyahu and Gantz are set to visit Washington in February to discuss details of the long-awaited 'Deal of the Century'.
2 min read
23 January, 2020
(L-R) Trump, Kushner, and Netanyahu during a visit to Israel [Getty]
The White House is set to release a statement on Donald Trump's long-awaited peace plan for the Middle East - dubbed "Deal of the Century" - according to Israeli media citing officials.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival in the upcoming elections Benny Gantz are thought to be flying out to Washington DC next week to discuss the details of the highly-controversial peace plan. 

The publication of the plan has been pushed back multiple times, in part because of Israel's unexpected second and third elections amid a political deadlock, and also due to the resignation of Jason Greenblatt, Trump's adviser on the Middle East and co-author of the deal.

The Palestinian Authority has cut off formal contact with the Trump administration and stated it will not cooperate with the plan.

It argues that the US is not an honest broker after taking a series of unabashedly pro-Israel decisions, such as recognising Jerusalem as its capital.

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The administration has started to describe its upcoming proposal as a "vision" rather than a plan, leading observers to wonder if Washington will offer more of a statement of principles rather than seek to broker a major agreement.

Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner launched the peace initiative in June with a conference in Bahrain in which he dangled an offer of $50 billion investment for the region if the Palestinians agree to a political deal.

The Palestinian leadership boycotted the conference, accusing the administration of ignoring key political issues and trying to buy its acceptance of Israeli rule.

Kushner has repeatedly said that a political component of the peace plan was in the pipeline.

Rumours of what the political plan contains - including no provision for a Palestinian state and handing over control of Jerusalem and large parts of the West Bank - have already been slammed by Arab leaders and other observers.


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