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Whatever Happened to the Term "Palestinian State?"

(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Yoni Ben-Menachem - The Palestinian leadership is expressing growing concern over the possibility of renewing negotiations with Israel and "the deal" that President Trump is planning for both sides. Senior Palestinian Authority officials confirm that Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has not yet heard Trump utter the words "Palestinian state." Nor were these words said by emissaries Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt. Abbas has refused to meet with David Friedman, the new American ambassador to Israel. Abbas fears that the "deal" that Trump speaks about is an expanded autonomy in the West Bank gift-wrapped with a presidential regime, government, parliament, embassies around the world, and the full status of a UN state. But in practice, the overall security responsibility in the West Bank will be in the hands of Israel. There is no doubt that President Trump is trying to square the circle and find a creative solution that both sides will find difficult to reject. Both Israel and the Palestinian Authority still don't know what he is planning, but it appears the Palestinian side is much more worried than the Israeli side - and probably with good reason. The writer, a veteran Arab affairs and diplomatic commentator for Israel Radio and Television, is a senior Middle East analyst for the Jerusalem Center.
2017-06-28 00:00:00
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