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Netanyahu is not worried and for good reason...

Reader comment on item: Anticipating Trump's "Deal of the Century"

Submitted by Raul Marks, Apr 10, 2019 at 21:19

Dr Pipes, I believe you have made logical conclusions based on the information at hand. But as we know, Trump is not your typical president. The information at hand, may in fact be completely wrong simply as a tool to keep all parties on their toes. Here is my reasoning:

1) The Trump-Netanyahu bromance is stronger than any in recent memory. It is inconceivable that Netyanhu would behave as such if Trump was proposing a deal bad for Israel. Unless, Netanyahu is also in the dark about the plan. But given how close the relations are, and the gravitas of such a plan, there is no way that Netanyahu isn't at least informed of the plan's formulation, if not a key architect of it himself.

2) All of the parties involved in the formulation of the plan are reliable Zionists: Trump ("most pro-Israel President" and the first President to have Jewish grandchildren), Greenblatt, Kushner, Friedman...none of them are "Israel doves". Could they be expected to create a plan that would harm Israel?

3) The Palestinians have already said they reject the plan and don't view the US as an "honest broker". Even if the plan is a good one for them, how do they maintain face and all of a sudden accept it?

4) If the plan is so good for the PA and they accept, is there reason to believe Netanyahu will just accept it? Trump doesn't have leverage...what would he do? Cancel the billion dollar aid to Israel? He can't do that, because that is Congress' mandate. Cancel the F-35 orders? He can't do that because that will hurt Lockheed-Martin and kill jobs and his main campaign slogan. Move the embassy back to Tel Aviv? He can't do that because its logistically impossible as the new embassy is already under construction.

The deal will most likely be something like this:

1) Israel gets a Jerusalem embassy. Check
2) Israel gets the Golan. Check
3) Israel gets to annex as much of the West Bank as needed for natural population growth.
4) A nebulous reference to some semi-autonomous Palestinian entity on lands in the distant future pending Israeli criteria are met
5) Palestinian access but no control/soverignty in any part of Jerusalem. Abu Dis may be suitable for a "capital" of sorts, "if the Palestinians choose".
6) Some sort of joint-Arab machinery to grant Palestinians economic and developmental opportunities. Would be led by the rich Gulf nation of KSA, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, etc.
7) In conclusion, both outcomes that Israel dislikes would be avoided (1-state solution and 2-state solution) to be replaced instead by Israel and a PA that is essentially a protectorate of the rich Gulf Nations.

The only question is, will the Gulf nations agree? If so, for how long? What happens when the Iranian situation is resolved? Will the Gulf nations continue their links with Israel?

Submitting....

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Reader comments (33) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
3Separating peoples on the basis of citizenship [115 words]MarkMay 15, 2019 14:36250006
Doubt You Are Right About the Trump Plan [141 words]ArielApr 22, 2019 19:33249439
Palestine not state with "Continued Israeli military control over Palestine's borders" [75 words]mythApr 15, 2019 15:26249278
Uh Uh [78 words]A.T. HalmayApr 11, 2019 15:34249192
1Netanyahu is not worried and for good reason... [480 words]Raul MarksApr 10, 2019 21:19249174
Our dear Raul is back I wonder why! [30 words]dhimmi no moreApr 14, 2019 11:51249174
Trump's "Deal of the Century" [24 words]PApr 10, 2019 17:04249169
Two State solution is not valid anymore [179 words]Sameer BaitamouniApr 10, 2019 15:19249167
Two State solution is not valid anymore [234 words]Sameer BaitamouniApr 10, 2019 15:17249166
High? The Deal of the Century?." [222 words]Shoshannah SomervilleApr 10, 2019 15:12249165
Here's the real deal ... of the century [119 words]Daniel RubioApr 15, 2019 14:56249165
3You cannot bribe your way to peace [215 words]DaveApr 10, 2019 13:34249161
1No Alternative to Annexation of Judea [106 words]chrisApr 10, 2019 12:57249160
Incorrect this time. [53 words]Jeff ElfontApr 10, 2019 12:32249158
Peace plan Reckoning [39 words]Charles FordApr 10, 2019 11:53249157
I predict both sides will embrace part of the plan and reject other parts. [56 words]Anon.Apr 10, 2019 11:32249156
2Trump Brain [101 words]notmeApr 10, 2019 11:20249155
Virtually the Same as Olmert Offered [11 words]Barry BlackApr 10, 2019 10:47249154
1"Anticipating Trump's Deal Of The Century" [66 words]Ronald NuxonApr 10, 2019 10:08249151
1Dead on Arrival [107 words]Barry BlackApr 10, 2019 09:41249148
2what should follow from "its peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan" [152 words]mythApr 10, 2019 09:37249147
1Myth: el-Sisi, Hamas, Isma'eel Haniya and the Muslim Brotherhood [120 words]dhimmi no moreApr 10, 2019 13:52249147
It worked once [156 words]JeffApr 13, 2019 19:46249147
2You are right again, Dan [1055 words]Ray ExleyApr 10, 2019 08:52249143
2I differ on the nature of palestinian irrational resentment [169 words]mythApr 10, 2019 14:44249143
2"Do not put your trust in princes" [182 words]DeavmanApr 10, 2019 08:28249140
1Trust [135 words]Nicholas VariasApr 10, 2019 08:04249136
3NO TWO STATES [67 words]Alain SoupeApr 10, 2019 07:45249135
2No plan can work [97 words]TerryApr 10, 2019 07:32249133
2Mixture as before - 1937, 1947, 1957, 1967, 1977..... [267 words]Frank AdamApr 10, 2019 07:13249132
1Christian Rights to Jerusalem have been left out. Why? [117 words]Joan RibiApr 10, 2019 06:30249131
The El-Aqsa mosque was built on the temple mount [186 words]AnonApr 10, 2019 18:15249131
al-Masjid al-Aqsa revisited! [97 words]dhimmi no moreApr 14, 2019 10:42249131

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