So, apparently the answer to middle east peace is a few malls and hotels? This is what happens when you cede diplomacy to real estate developers.
4
A commentator wrote about Trump and acolytes: “Do people really not know what a despicable con man he is, or are they so amoral themselves, they just don't care?”
That is indeed a good juxtaposing assertion! Statistical truth is that 48% of we-the-people are also morally challenged. We have being going into this moral morass since the end of WW2. The speed to moral oblivion has only increased in the last 20 years.
2
Any Palestinians invited, any Palestinians quoted here? This is exactly what what it appears to be, a non starter that will result in the US supported illegal occupation to continue apace.
3
The sheer hubris of these two failed business men is impossible to fathom.
3
Am I missing something? This sounds an awful lot like the Clinton Global Initiative.
This is an announcementof the 'sale' of Arab Patrimony. The sale is different too: the Arabls are expected to pay for others to take BOTH the Land and the Money.
I have long argued that the best way to achieve a lasting peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should include a "Marshall Plan" for Palestine. Substantial investment by the U.S. and it's allies could transform Palestine into a modern self-sustaining state. Imagine if it had modern infrasture, including water, sewer, and electric services, an up-to-date healthcare system, schools and universities. The construction jobs would employ many, providing an alternative to violence an make the country a magnet for economic activity.
Of course, it must be accompanied by the recognition of Palestine as an independent state, and the cessation and roll-back of Israel's illegal settlement program and and end to the defacto apartheid policies of the Israeli government.
Unfortunately, the Trump administration can't even tackle the infrastructure needs of our own country, so this plan seems doomed to failure.
2
it appears President Trump does not really have a clue what Arabs, including Palestinians, want. he sees everything through the lens of real estate deals, where simple objectives are pretty clear.
3
Are we talking about Vice-President Kushner? Whatever happened to his lack of security clearance? Come on spineless GOP leaders, you've allowed the US to join the ranks of dictator-run countries. We need major legal overhauls of the government, with severe personal penalties all the way down the line.
3
DOA, just like Kushner' immigration plan.
Trump lives in a parallel universe where he can pressure, bully and threaten other countries to do what he wants. Then he reverses and turn on the charm as with Kim Jong-Un. Neither strategy has worked.
4
Donald thinks the only motivation is money.
What a shallow man.
3
What could possibly “taking the businessmen’s approach to Middle East peace” mean to Trump & Kushner? The proposal comes as Trump/ Kushner/ Stephen Miller are racializing Central American refugees, want a very tall wall along the border, much like Israel has done in the occupied territories. Israel has appropriated Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and the rest of the occupied territories? In addition, there are tons of active investigations about Trump/ Kushner money laundering for Russians and other ruffians. Kushner is probably salivating about the possibility of such economic deals because his cut will be stratospheric
The plan feels like Purdue Pharma’s proposal to sell drugs to combat OxyContin addiction that they introduced to Americans to begin with. The Sackler family made billionaires of each of the 3 generation of family members.
1
Any deal that does not offer the Palestinians an internationally recognized independent state from the get-go is a non-starter, no matter how many economic sweeteners are baked into the pie Kushner is concocting. Palestine is not just another land deal, but a political problem to be resolved by the contending parties--something that Trump cannot understand. There is no point to negotiating a settlement with ourselves or our Israeli friends alone--the Palestinians are integral to the process, and if they are effectively excluded, they will and should never abide by any agreement. Moreover, Trump's unilateral concessions to the Israelis on Jerusalem and the Golan have undermined virtually all our credibility as an honest broker. If Kushner's half-baked plan had any chance of succeeding if it were proposed by another party, it has no chance of succeeding now that will be proposed by our administration. Sadly, it will find its way to the ash heap of other failed efforts to resolve this bitter conflict.
3
@tek1
Palestine as an internationally recognized independent state from the get-go will have the ability to acquire more & better weapons. Why should Israel allow people who are trying to exterminate the Jews have access to more & better weapons? Why should anyone believe that the Arabs will actually live in peace with Israel when the Arabs don't even live in peace with other Arabs? Why should anyone believe that the Palestinians will actually honor any treaty? Remember what Arafat said:
"the Oslo accords “fell into the same category as the Treaty of Hudaibiya that was signed by the Prophet Muhammed with the people of Mecca in 628, only to be reneged on a couple of years later when the situation titled in Muhammad’s favor.” Arafat’s words were recorded by a member of the Jewish community who had infiltrated the meeting posing as a Muslim — provoking demands from Israeli officials that he repudiate them. Arafat never did.
Nor did the Palestinian leadership cease its support for terrorism. Arafat and other top PA apparatchiks both approved and funded the creation of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a U.S.-designated terrorist group. Arafat’s own personal bodyguard unit, Force 17—trained and equipped by the U.S. and EU as part of Oslo—carried out terror attacks throughout the 1990s and during the Second Intifada, from 2000-2005.
1
So you think nations only make peace treaties with their beloved friends? So you think Israel will live in peace while it and the international community refuses to recognize the right of the Palestinians to their own state? So you think Jews in Israel will be better off ruling as minority in their own country, thereby giving legitimacy to
the charge that Israel is an apartheid state? So you think Arab states and Iran will stop exploiting the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for their own purposes, including the financing and arming of surrogates likes Hezbollah?
Peace is never a sure thing and can never be guaranteed. But it's worth risking if the only alternative is perpetual war.
This is just another cynical Trump ploy.He believes that building a wall will solve problems on the southern border-that is not working out so well.He thinks that infusing money for building in the Palestinian Territories will solve the Israeli/Palestinian problem.His solution to everything is bricks and mortar.He lacks the understanding that people want dignity and freedom from oppression and a sense that years of longing will be rewarded.He moved the American Embassy to Jerusalem and that delighted Israel- he is going to have to come up with some similar inducement to make the Palestinians happy-it will not be a multimillion dollar building.
10
Yes, talking about Trump real estate developments in North Korea worked so well with Kim Jong-un—
Maybe Trump can try that in Gaza with the Palestinians.
5
I find it so interesting that people are so willing to criticise this step. The discourse on this is to fraught on both sides for me to say who I am or what I believe but there has been so little progress for so long what do we have to lose by trying something different. Even if it's other people's money and even if it is cynical - so what ? If you do what you have always done you will get what you always got. I am suspicious of everybody in this process but variation of strategy and some level of pragmatic experimentation cannot make the situation any worse.
1
The Palestinians should simply ask Kushner for a map of the area over which the Palestinians would have true sovereignty, if the "deal of the century" were implemented. There's little to be gained by delaying recognition that the deal is DOA.
3
This is a complete winner for Trump.
A lot of money will be offered, leading to one of several outcomes:
1. The Palestinian leadership will accept the money and whatever conditions are attached, investing it wisely to improve Gaza and the West Bank. (Probability –1%)
2. Palestinians will pressure and, if necessary, oust the current leadership, installing new leaders that will accept the money and invest it wisely. (Probability – 1%)
3. Palestinian leadership will accept the money and it will disappear into a black hole of corruption. (Probability – 3%)
4. The Palestinian leadership will reject the money. (Probability – 95%)
Trump and the Arab donors will say that they tried and the Palestinian leadership doesn’t care about its people. And there is some truth in this.
Trump will take this issue off the table and gain at least a little credit for trying. The Arab world will have its fig leaf to care even less about the Palestinians.
Let’s face it. Nobody has a particular interest in solving this problem.
Not Americans or Europeans.
Not the Arab world.
Not the Israelis.
And most certainly not the Palestinian leadership.
It’s a 1990’s issue in 2019.
5
What people don't seem to understand is that there will never be peace in the Middle East until everyone wants peace more than they want to annihilate each other. 45 and Kushner have no clue how to bring people together, let alone promote peace, and I don't think anyone else does either.
1
How could this possibly go wrong, with these two modern-day Midases in charge? I see an even bigger success than Trump Casinos on the horizon.
3
The UN has been useless.
The Palestinian leadership is corrupt.
Propaganda on all sides is rampant.
Hate is instilled upon the youth.
If President Trump or any leader wants to be successful in the Middle East, simply figure out how to solve the dilemma posed by Golda Meir:
“We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children. We cannot forgive them for forcing us to kill their children. We will only have peace with the Arabs when they love their children more than they hate us”.
3
Land for peace didn't work. Land without a peace treaty didn't work. Why would "buying" peace work?
Until Hamas and other terrorist groups decide to lay down guns and rockets and missiles, we will see no major change.
6
@Barbara Don't you mean, "Until Hamas and Isreal decide to lay down guns, rockets, and missiles, we will see no change."
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@Barbara
You should not expect Hamas, Hezbollah, or ordinary Palestinians to stop the resistance until Israel stops the occupation and human rights abuse.
7
@Barbara
Unless and until Israel offers the Palestinians real sovereignty over a large area of their homeland, the deal of the century is DOA.
Que the smoke! Line up the mirrors towards the Middle Eastern sun! Insult, abuse, cut off all aid and and even the slightest recognition of human rights to live if not co-exist. Pummel them into submission and then pay them with other people's money, pennies on the shekel and then proudly proclaim "See? We fixed it". And of course if the Palestinians wont go for being throw a few dollars for their capitulation and submission, they will be blamed for not wanting peace.
Absolutely delusional.
Classic Trump.
DOA.
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@Mr. Mike
The Palestinians don't want peace.
‘son's death was "best day of my life," says Palestinian mother’
How can a mother who loves her son say that his death was the "best day of my life?" The explanation is that she believes that her son's becoming a martyr by dying while attacking Jews gives him instant access to Paradise & eternal happiness. People who believe as she does don't want peace. They want conflict because conflict provides an opportunity for martyrdom.
4
Trump's is clearly dangling a war on Iran to divert attention from this overwhelming and growing legal issues at home.
If Pelosi brings impeachment proceedings, Trump initiates his war on Iran.
It's that simple.
9
It's just business as usual with Donald Trump and Jared Kushner playing fast and loose with other's money.
No wonder it's no surprise that Deutsche Bank anti-money laundering specialists discovered "suspicious activity" in both their accounts.
5
Trump's "Deal of the Century" is the Palestinian's "Nakba version 2.0".
4
This model didn't work so well as evidenced by Trump's many bankruptcies. Why then does he think it will work now?
3
it doesn't have to work. it only has to allow Trump to advance to the next square.
Trump and Kushner are tied to the transactional world of business. Peace treaties and their acceptance by the populace, as opposed to the politicians, requires more. This is what has deluded efforts for decades.
6
I suppose that if Donald Trump was around in 1776 and the British had offered financial incentives in lieu of granting independence to the colonies he would have happily accepted that deal. Especially if the Brits agreed to subsidize a Trump hotel in London. Then again, The Donald would never have joined the colonials in fighting the "redcoats": those bone-spurs would have assuredly kept him out of the conflict.
comment submitted 5/20 at 11:07 AM
9
Is it possible that the Palestinian Arabs will ever find a leader, who is willing to state publicly the hard truth: Israel is here to stay, and the longer the Palestinian Arabs delay, the less likely they will ever have a state or decent living conditions. Time to accept the reality, begin to build their governing and economic capacity in whatever territory they have available, just as the Palestinian Jews did in 1948, when they accepted the reality and began to build in what territory they had. Imagine if they Palestinian Arabs (well, Jordon, really, since they controlled Palestine) had begun to build in 1948. Jordan-Palestine, in partnership with Israel, would be a thriving state today.
7
@Asheville Resident
The Palestinians have tried since Oslo to build their State, however under occupation and with Israel illegally colonising their land it isn't really possible. They did recognise Israel numerous times, Israel have yet to acknowledge their right to a Palestinian State, the Likud charter reject it, so instead of blaming them you may want to look a bit more objectively at the situation on the ground and Israel's actions.
1
@Juliette
How have the Palestinians have tried since Oslo to build their State? Please be specific. How do the settlements make building a state impossible? Gaza has no settlements. Why isn't Gaza a state?
2
Trump's "Middle East Peace Drive" will take a route that goes no where near the United Nations and that avoids any reference to international law. The deal will trash decades of official US foreign policy, will ignore countless official UN resolutions, and will show utter contempt for established international law.
6
Israelis have been telling us for decades about corruption among many Palestinian officials. Many have hesitated to believe them because they are not simply impartial "observers" there. Their hostility towards Palestinian and their occupation of Palestinian lands are now 70 years old. Now it seems that, using the Saudi money, the Israelis are making a huge bet on corruption among Palestinian officials.
There are two ways of bribing corrupt officials: openly and covertly. Mr. Kushner's Middle East plan seems to be based on openly bribing corrupt Palestinian officials to give up their people's land and dignity in exchange for millions of dollars.
Interestingly, Kushner will be bribing them not with his own money, or the US government's money. He will be throwing at them money coming from Saudi Arabia and Emirate.
As the current trial of ex prime minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, has revealed, Saudis have become experts in "open bribery" of other countries' officials. They deposited about $1bn in Najib’s personal bank account to ensure pro-Saudi vote in the UN by Malaysia, as well as getting permission to build mosques and Islamic centers in KL and other cities, all run by Wahhabi clergy.
4
The position of the Palestinians must be made clear to the world. They should simply state they will not entertain any proposals from any party that do not respect established UN resolutions and do not conform to international law.
9
@Greg
Perhaps better to state in the positive:
The Palestinians are open to any and all proposals, from any party, which respect established UN resolutions and conform with international law.
3
This con strategy was tried by Bill Clinton when he was trying to mediate peace. Mr. Clinton offered lot of money to Yasser Arafat. He couldn't persuade
Mr. Arafat to accept the bribe and sign
off on peace plan. Mr Kushner's trick
is not going work this time either.
4
@s.khan
Donald has delusions of a great big gleaming gold Trump Hotel in downtown Tehran.
2
Arab leaders can be coerced.
Palestinian leaders can be bribed.
But what about the Palestinian people.
It is essential that any "deal" be submitted to a referendum of all the Palestinian people. It the majority of the Palestinian people do not back the "deal" there will be no peace.
5
Trump's "Deal of the Century" has been put together by a cast of unsavoury characters:
Trump conducts business at the limits of the law, and is suspected of criminal activity.
Kushner's family has a criminal history, and Kushner himself is under investigation for criminal activity.
Netanyahu is charged with crimes both nationally and internationally.
MBS is widely considered a torturer and murderer.
Correspondingly the Trump-Kushner-Netanyahu-MBS "Deal" will be criminal, robbing the Palestinians of their legal and human rights.
12
Trump is still a "one trick pony". He does not read or listen to those more in the know than he is. But Spending money on what he wants is and always has been his strategy. However, those in the middle east peace effort better keep an eye on our liar in chief because he is more than likely going to renege on his proposal. Is the offer real? I will believe it when I see it. This is standard Trump with a Kushner on the side.
2
Like many of the commenters, I have huge problems with President Trump and significant concerns with his peace plan. But it damages the cause of peace and of civil discourse when commenters describe Trump as Netanyahu's "puppet" and characterize the four-time prime minister of Israel as "extreme right-wing."
Trump and his advisers do what they do based on his perception - however misguided - on what is best for him and our country.
And to characterize the prime minister who has significantly increased government spending on the Arab minority as "extreme right wing," while ignoring the anti-Semitic drivel, the refusal to recognize the right to a Jewish homeland, and the rain of rockets coming from the Palestinian side is to make it clear that the commenters have the bigotry of low expectations: they assign no agency, and therefore no responsibility, to the Palestinians.
4
Trump Tower coming to Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Israel. The only thing Kushner sees is dollar signs.
3
Jared, did you see the news about us and the bank!
Yes Mr President, what should we do? Everything is getting so complicated!
Let’s not panic! Didn’t I put you in charge of the Middle East?
Uh, did you?
Yes I did, and here’s what we’re going to do to get the heat off us...
4
@TOM
Nailed it!
And if that doesn't work, we'll start a war.
3
Jeepers creepers--these two brilliant economists and learned historians are going to save the world! After increasing the American debt, messing around with punitive tariffs, etc, they're using their savvy to tell everyone else what to do.
Why do I keep wanting to crawl into a hole and hide my head?
6
In over 10 hours of the Eurovision Song Contest last week,
only ONE woman with a Hijab was shown by the Israeli TV producers - a sole presentative of 19% non-jewish population of Israel.
Can you imagine the outcry if in the USA, hosting an international competition presenting the American nation to a 200 million worldwide audience, only one African American featured? (12% of USA Population).
4
Kushner negotiating for peace in the Middel East is about as plausible as allowing my gardener to perform surgery because he knows his way around a pair of shears.
11
This dumb administration is totally missing the fundamentals. The culture of the region puts honor and respect above economic incentives. Cater to their pride, stop being so decidedly unilateral in the Palestinian Israeli dilemma, be an honest broker and you may get somewhere.
Carrots with dishonor won’t go anywhere.
8
One needs to ask the question: Is this a way for these two men to make money? Whenever anyone deals with Mr. Trump, one must ask, how much is he going to get out of it?
Of course, there may always be economic advantages to certain diplomatic agreements, but these should be arranged with help from the U.N. and seasoned diplomats, not two men who are known for questionable ethics.
5
Perhaps Deutsche Bank would be willing to provide the funding.
28
@ms
!Bingo!
3
Since the Zionist in chief negotiator Kushner has no intention of offering a two state solution to the Palestinians, rather hoping to buy off the head honchos with other people’s money from appearances, a ploy that works well in their circles, this is a win win for Trump and Israel, they can both say “ we tried” once again, knowing full well The Palestinians will be no shows at the “ circus” and can’t be bought off.
23
People like Trump have no idea how to measure quality in terms other than money. What is the value of history? the homes Palestinians lost? The olive orchards bulldozed? Dignity and community and freedom of travel while Israeli settlements dominate every hill and military barriers criss-cross a country once known as Palestine? There will have to be concessions on the Israeli side as well, at the very least to stop breaking up Palestinian land, but with extreme right wing in power in Israel the chances of Israel giving up anything? Zero.
36
Privatization of MidEast Peace: Who will handle the money? Kushner and Associates? How much will they charge for this service? 10% of $68B: why, that's real money. I would rather see the US support efforts within the UN.
20
@V W house
Unfortunately The UN is not the best arbiter in this case. Deliberations there would be never ending and rancorous. Truly impartial moderators acceptable to both sides would be very difficult to find. It is a gordian knot for the ages. Suggestions welcome by reply.
5
@V W house
The UN is extremely biased against Israel.
For example, the UN criticized only one country for its treatment of women. It was not Saudi Arabia where women were not allowed to drive. It was not Egypt or Iraq or Yemen where girls suffer from female genital mutilation. It was not Palestine or Jordan or Iran where women are subjected to honor killings. It was Israel – a country that has had a female prime minister & female fighter pilots.
The 10 worst countries for human rights are: Syria, Sudan, DR Congo, Pakistan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Myanmar, Yemen & Nigeria. So why are there more UN Resolutions against Israel, a liberal democracy, than against the 10 worst countries combined?
There is no boycott of China even though China invaded Tibet & transferred millions of Chinese settlers into Tibet.
There is no boycott of Turkey even though Turkey occupies part of Cyprus and Turkish settlers have moved into occupied Cyprus.
There is no boycott of Morocco which occupies part of Western Sahara.
Unlike China, Turkey and Morocco, the Israel's occupation began because Israel was attacked. Also, unlike China, Turkey and Morocco, Israel offered to end the occupation if Palestinians would sign a peace treaty.
2
This "deal of the century" is Don in full con mode. The critics nailed it. High leverage with other people's money: Rich Arab States will invest in "a vision to offer Palestinians exciting new opportunities to realize their full potential" but no Palestinian State. As Kushner said, "two states" means different things to Israelis and Palestinians so "Let's just not say it."
The executive Director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy wrote in an essay "The only way to protect the long term viability of the best aspects of the Kushner plan is to kill the plan."
18
@Saint999”a vision to offer Palestinians exciting new ways to realize their full potential “, sounds like they are peddling condos or tuition to Trump University, these people are pathetic.
4
"Economic Incentives" ?
Rather it is Trump, Kushner, and Netanyahu trying to buy Palestinian land rights and human rights, using tainted money from MBS and other Arab leaders.
A true and lasting peace will never come if the Palestinians are forced into a second Nakba.
21
Is the self-determination of the Palestinians for sale? Trump has cut off all aid to this displaced, long suffering people hoping to squeeze them into submission. It now bans Hanan Ashrawi and other moderate Palestinian intellectuals from entering the U.S. The U.S. has never offered the Palestinians a fair deal, but only offered what Israel was willing to give. The U.S. no longer even pretends to be an impartial broker for peace with justice. Regarded as Israel's enabler of the occupation, the animosity against the U.S. increases. The whole world, with the exception of Israel and Saudi Arabia, looks forward to the end of the Trump era.
47
@an observer
It's not about self-determination of the Palestinians.
If the Palestinians wanted an independent state, they would have declared independence in 1948. Instead, they asked for union with Jordan.
In 1947, the scholars at Al-Azhar University (The highest authority in Sunni Islam.) declared holy war to return Palestine to Islamic rule. Therefore, as long as most Palestinians are devout Muslims (85% of Palestinian Muslims want sharia law.) and as long as the Jewish State controls even one square inch of land, peace is impossible.
6
@m1945: Are you really going to evaluate the situation that exists today by referring to conditions in 1947? If so, you might also be able to convince yourself that the citizens of virtually every nation in Africa had no right to demand independence inasmuch as they hadn't done so prior to the late 1950s.
9
@m1945
This is one of the biggest problems to overcome. Thank you for pointing it out so clearly.
2
Of course this so-called plan is "like selling apartments for a skyscraper for which there were not yet architectural plans". Isn't that pretty much the way our grifter-in-chief has operated in his business career? One also has to wonder how the Kushner clan, and to a lesser extent the Trump family will benefit from economic investments in the Mideast.
31
@LHW: I can't wait for the opening of the Trump International Hotel in Ramallah.
3
“By most indications, the plan would not involve the creation of a Palestinian state, as the United States has sought for the last quarter-century under presidents of both political parties.”
A plan written by Netanyahu and given to Trump. Trump must get wrist burns from Netanyahu pulling his puppet strings. But Trump knows that he owes him and the Saudis big favors for bailing him and Kushner out of past bad business deals. Trump is all about a one state solution for Israel control. And thinks he can just buy off the Palestinians to bury themselves, and allow Israel to build on top of them.
This looks like why Trump wants to take out Iran so urgently because they back Palestine, and this new plan will seek to bury Palestine. And with the risk of Trump not being re-elected they are putting things in motion now. Scary times, with Netanyahu and MBS calling the shots for Trumps foreign policy.
35
@steve
You left out the fundamentalist aka evangelical voters who have been taking marching orders from Netanyahu before there was a Trump.
They provide the voters and are Trump & the Republican Party's base.
5
This looks like a pre-election show for 2020 and a tactical boost for the extreme right in Israel. Format: Kin Jong-un summit, with an added Ponzi, all using other people's money. A photo op with no strategy, advance diplomacy, etc. Why doesn't Donald throw in the Brooklyn Bridge? Palestinians have already said You Can't Buy Us Off.
Projected result: Netanyahu gets to grab more land and power.
26
Sounds like yet more snake oil from the Grifter-in-Chief. Trump and Kushner have spent their entire lives losing other people's money in their failed business ventures. Deutschebank was fooled but I somehow doubt that the Bahrain "workshop" will produce many investors in a Middle East peace plan dreamed up by a serial liar and his Zionist son-in-law.
40