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A precise peace plan is clearly needed

May 25,2017 - Last updated at May 25,2017

For some time now, every time a new US administration is elected, it pledges to “work with the parties concerned” to find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The current Trump administration has made the same pledge, both before President Donald Trump’s current visit to the region and during the visit itself.

Trump, in fact, expressed his resolve with this end in mind in the clearest terms possible. After his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem, a few days ago, he articulated his commitment “to achieve a peace agreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians” and vowed to “do everything I can to help” the two parties achieve “lasting peace”.

In principle, of course, this is positive.

The language and the tone here are significantly different from the language and the tone used by Trump during his election campaign.

It suggests that there is a clear intention on part of the Trump administration to attempt to find a solution.

This is welcome news that should be encouraged.

The continuation of the current stalemate is in the interest of neither Israelis nor Palestinians, though the Palestinians are having rough time due to Israel’s cruel occupation and continuous violation of their rights.

Nevertheless, the crucial issue here is not what Trump says he intends to do, but his specific ideas and plans for a solution.

So far, we heard nothing about those ideas and plans. We will have to wait and see.

The last thing we want, however, is talk about resumption of negotiations, as this has been tried before and it is no more than a delaying tactic used by Israel to gain more time and prolong the occupation.

What is needed is a suggested, precise and clear-cut peace plan, which is built on previous agreements between the Palestinians and Israelis; previous UN resolutions; a clear commitment by Israel to withdraw from all territories it occupied by force in 1967 and a timetable to this effect.

Other than this, all efforts would not be fruitless.

 

One hopes the Trump administration would learn from failed past experiences as well as from successful ones.

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