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U.S. Does Not Intend to Impose Peace Plan on Israel or Palestinians, Officials Say
(Ha'aretz) Amir Tibon - The Trump administration's plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace won't be a "take it or leave it" proposal, but rather a basis for direct negotiations, administration officials said this week. "We have said all along that we don't want to impose an agreement," one official explained. A second official said, "We are a facilitator. It would be arrogant to assume we know better than anyone else. At the end of the day, the two sides need to negotiate and reach an agreement." An official said, "We are astonished that Abbas won't even see" the plan. "It would be a shame for the Palestinian people if the Palestinian leadership refuses to engage with this plan." Administration officials also emphasized that they have no illusions about the Arab world "abandoning" the Palestinians as part of an alliance with Israel. One official contended that the U.S. summit with North Korea "shows how suddenly and unexpectedly things can change, and how intractable positions can potentially be softened and modified."