Trump unveils his long-awaited Middle East plan that is seen by some as ‘aggressive’ and ‘one-sided’.
US President Donald Trump’s long-awaited Middle East plan was denounced by some as “aggressive” and “one-sided” while others say the initiative “could prove a positive step forward”.
“My vision presents a win-win solution for both sides,” he said, adding that Israeli leaders have said they will endorse the proposal.
Here is how the world reacted to the announcement.
Iran
Iranian officials dismissed the so-called “peace proposal” as “a plan of imposition and sanctions”.
Hesameddin Ashena, an adviser to Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani, said on Twitter: “This is a deal between the Zionist regime (Israel) and America. Interaction with Palestinians is not on its agenda. This is not a peace plan but a plan of imposition and sanctions.”
Later, Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement said the proposal was the “treason of the century” and bound to fail.
“The shameful peace plan imposed by America on the Palestinians is the treason of the century and doomed to fail,” it said.
Jordan
Jordan warned against “annexation of Palestinian lands” with the kingdom’s foreign minister warning against the “dangerous consequences of unilateral Israeli measures that aim to impose new realities on the ground”.
Ayman Safadi called for direct negotiations that solve all final status issues in a comprehensive solution in accordance with established terms of reference, the Arab peace initiative and international law.
Establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on the basis of a two-state solution is the only path to comprehensive and lasting peace, Safadi said in a statement.
“Jordan supports every genuine effort aimed at achieving just and comprehensive peace that people will accept,” he said.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the US embassy in Amman to protest Trump’s plan, shouting slogans including “No to normalisation” and “We will not recognise Israel.”
Palestinians
Sami Abu Zhuri, an official of Hamas which governs the Gaza Strip, said Trump’s statement was “aggressive and will spark a lot of anger”.
“Trump’s statement about Jerusalem is nonsense and Jerusalem will always be the land of the Palestinians,” he told Reuters News Agency.
“The Palestinians will confront this deal and Jerusalem will remain a Palestinian land.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said “a thousand no’s” to the plan.
“After the nonsense that we heard today, we say a thousand no’s to the Deal of The Century,” Abbas said at a press conference in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where the Palestinian Authority is headquartered.
He said the Palestinians remain committed to ending the Israeli occupation and establishing a state with its capital in east Jerusalem.
“We will not kneel and we will not surrender,” Abbas said, adding that the Palestinians would resist the plan through “peaceful, popular means”.
Egypt
Egypt urged Israelis and Palestinians to “carefully study” the proposal. The foreign ministry said in a statement that the plan favours a solution that restores all the “legitimate rights” of the Palestinian people through establishing an “independent and sovereign state on the occupied Palestinian territories.
Egypt, which along with Jordan is the only Arab country to have made peace with Israel, said it appreciates the US administration’s efforts to try to resolve the decades-old conflict.
Turkey
Numan Kurtulmus, deputy chairman of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK), also slammed Trump’s statements on Jerusalem, saying: “No, Trump! Jerusalem is the capital of the Palestinian state and the heart of the Islamic world!”
Hezbollah
Calling the plan “deal of shame”, Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement said it was a very dangerous step which would have negative consequences on the region’s future, according to Al Manar TV.
It also said the proposal would not have happened without “complicity and betrayal” of several Arab states.
Yemen’s Houthis
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, said Trump’s proposal was “blatant US aggression on Palestine and the nation”.
“It is a deal funded by Saudi (Arabia) and the UAE (United Arab Emirates) to cement Israeli occupation,” he said. “The people of the region have to bear the responsibility of standing up to this danger and facing it with every possible and legitimate means.”
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman reassured the Kingdom’s commitment to the Palestinian issue and Palestinian rights, in a phone call with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, the Saudi state news agency reported early on Wednesday.
United Kingdom
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson said the plan could be a positive step.
“The leaders (Johnson and Trump) discussed the United States’ proposal for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, which could prove a positive step forwards,” he said.
Dominic Raab, Britain’s foreign minister, called on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to give fair consideration to the initiative.
“This is clearly a serious proposal, reflecting extensive time and effort,” said Raab in a statement. “We encourage them (leaders) to give these plans genuine and fair consideration, and explore whether they might prove a first step on the road back to negotiations,” he said.
United Nations
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres according to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN supports two states living in peace and security within recognised borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 borders.
“The United Nations remains committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict on the basis of United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements and realizing the vision of two States – Israel and Palestine – living side by side in peace and security within recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines.”
