The Zombie Returns: Middle East Peace Plan Would Create Palestinian Bantustan.

AuthorMarks, Edward

The long pregnancy of the Trump Administration's promised Middle East Peace Plan is about to come to term. Developed under the leadership of Jared Kushner, the President's son-in-law and special advisor, the work was conducted in secrecy until this year's well-publicized meetings with various governments and other parties moved the plan to front stage. In late summer Mr. Kushner increased the tempo of travel, promoting the plan to Middle East governments considered potential partners.

Kushner unveiled the first part of the proposed peace plan on June 25, 2019 at the US-sponsored Peace to Prosperity Conference in Bahrain. The proposal decoupled Palestinian financial and economic interests from the political context, an approach that Kushner explained as focused on economic and commercial development ahead of any political resolution.

Apparently the intention was to reveal the full plan in coordination with the Israeli parliamentary elections, with the assumption (or at least the hope) that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would win re-election, Netanyahu having clearly been an insider in the preparation of the plan. The postponement of the Israeli election until September meant postponement of the Kushner Plan until then.

Although the exact details of the plan remain secret, the main elements are now known. While many parties are involved, the key players remain Israel and the Palestinians. However, Kushner changed the script of many decades by sidelining Palestinian territorial ambitions, attempting instead to build the foundation for peace on economic development rather than political compromise.

The bow to Israeli positions seems obvious, given the relationship between the Israeli and American governments and recent US policy decisions regarding the movement of the embassy to Jerusalem and recognition of Israeli control of the Golan Heights. That the Kushner plan calls for official recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank (and probably Gaza) is no surprise, considering that the American Ambassador to Israel has already stated this position.

But what would be in it for the Palestinians? The answer appears to be lots of money and "autonomous" authority over designated areas. The core element would be economic development, with $50 billion in investments to boost the Palestinian economy. In addition, the Palestinians would get a de facto Palestinian "homeland" with "autonomous" local authority and external financial support...

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