Israel must abide by Trump plan, prepare accordingly

Analysis: Palestinian rejection of the 'Deal of the Century' renders negotiations on it pointless, but Jerusalem could leverage this obstructiveness to shape its image into conditions that are undoubtedly favorable

Amos Yadlin|
Political maneuvers and elections are a deadly combination - it is crucial to be able to differentiate between the important subjects and the trivial, between political spins and the essence of the issue at hand.
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  • With these understandings, we need to approach and analyze U.S. President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Middle East with much-needed caution, as recent developments in Washington gave rise to a number of valid points that must be taken into consideration.
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    נשיא ארה"ב דונלד טראמפ ב פורום הכלכלי העולמי ב דאבוס ב שווייץ
    נשיא ארה"ב דונלד טראמפ ב פורום הכלכלי העולמי ב דאבוס ב שווייץ
    U.S. President Donald Trump
    (Photo: Reuters)
    First, maintaining Israel's interest - as far as Israel cares, Trump's plan is the best it could have hoped for, especially in comparison with past plans offered by the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations.
    Trump's plan aims to preserve Israel's character as a safe Jewish and democratic state and provide Israel with suitable solutions to four main issues - borders, Jerusalem's status, the Palestinian refugee problem and state security.
    This sends out a clear message to the Palestinians that their repeated rejection of peace proposals carries a price and time isn't in their favor.
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    בני גנץ בוגי יעלון כחול לבן סיור תצפית ורד יריחו בקעת הירדן עסקת תוכנית המאה של דונלד טראמפ
    בני גנץ בוגי יעלון כחול לבן סיור תצפית ורד יריחו בקעת הירדן עסקת תוכנית המאה של דונלד טראמפ
    Benny Gantz and Moshe Ya'alon in the Jordan Valley
    (Photo: Gettyimages)
    Secondly, we must understand that this plan will not lead to peace.
    The Palestinians rejected the proposal before it was even published, making it irrelevant to serve as a foundation for negotiations.
    Aside from fundamental resistance to the plan's core principals - that contest the assumptions of the last three decades of negotiations - the Palestinians themselves are are unable to present an official stance on the matter due to ongoing internal struggles between Hamas and Fatah.
    Another essential component of the plan is the diplomatic and economic support of the Arab world. The plan assumes Arab countries will support it regardless of whether the Palestinians decide to fully adopt it. As of now, there is no confirmation of this assumption from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and most worryingly, from Jordan.
    Despite the Palestinian objections, the silence of the Arab world and Europe's (lax) condemnation - the right move for Israel would be for the country's two major parties, Likud and Blue & White, to adopt the plan.
    Now, knowing there's no deal on the horizon, the only question that remains is, what's next?
    Keeping the status quo will result in a single state that will not be necessarily Jewish nor democratic.
    The right will try to leverage the Palestinian rejection of the plan to annex the Jordan Valley and Area C in the West Bank - a dangerous move that could risk the peace agreements with Jordan and Egypt, end the relative calm in the West Bank, cause escalation of violence in the Gaza Strip and lead Israel into a political conflict with the international community.
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     Palestinian protesting in the West Bank
     Palestinian protesting in the West Bank
    Palestinian protesting in the West Bank
    (Photo: AFP)
    We must understand that putting the Palestinian issue in the limelight is not an Israeli interest. After the publication of the plan, Israel must prepare itself for potential riots, varying degrees of disorderly conduct and the very real possibility of conflicts in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip simultaneously.
    Yet, Israel must focus its concerns on the ongoing threats it faces from Iran - the nuclear plan, the establishment of forces in Syria and the high-precision missile project in Lebanon.
    It's the single most important security issue facing Israel today.
    The bottom line is this - President Trump is offering Israel a historic possibility to shape its image on conditions that are undoubtedly favorable. If we'll use this opportunity to apply the two-state solution, we will only end up benefitting from it.
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