Whitewash indeed. Peace to you all!
I watched the speech that Trump gave (and Netanyahu as well at the end) about the deal, this morning. (Though I'm not sure how it can be referred to as a 'deal', since a deal assumes that both parties involved agree - and the only two parties involved and agreeing here are the US and Israel.) In that speech, there is not one word mentioned about the wrong that has been done to the Palestinians (wronged by the US, Britain, some of their neighbors, and also by "Israel"). But we've discussed many of those things over the years.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/full-text ... portunity/The deal gives "Israel" everything it asked for:
- no right of return for Palestinian refugees
- immediate annexation of Jordan valley (shouldn't a deal be implemented between the two parties - and agreed to - before one party starts acting as though it is a fact? Netanyahu pledged to start doing this at once.)
- Jersualem as Israel's undivided capital (though Trump said that was no big deal, since he had already given that to them)
- demilitarized Palestine
- Palestinian recognition of Israel as the Jewish State
Listening to Trump talk, you would not have known some of the above points (not unless you read the details of the plan), but Netanyahu got up and highlighted a bunch of them.
So of course Netanyahu was quick to accept and praise this. But it is the same-old same-old for the Palestinians (another country unilaterally deciding that the land - be it their land or disputed land - will be given to another people). If they disagree or refuse to accept the deal, then they can (continue to) be painted as a people who do not truly want peace. Of course, if the deal was reversed in favor of the Palestinian side - endorsed by Arab nations - would Israel not also reject it? Israel has already rejected proposals put forth that were unacceptable to it; do not the Palestinians have that same right?
As for the monetary investment as one of the incentives to Palestinians, Abbas said this:
Quote:
"I say to Trump and Netanyahu: Jerusalem is not for sale, all our rights are not for sale and are not for bargain. And your deal, the conspiracy, will not pass," he said in a televised address from Ramallah in the West Bank.
Add in all the stuff with Iran (and I read somewhere, I forget where but if I find it I will link to it, where Iran said that future responses to threats are not going to be like past responses...) and maybe throw a helmet on your head as well as buckling in!
Thanks for posting these updates, and may you all have peace,
your sister and servant and fellow slave of Christ,
tammy