The Palestinians expect the EU to take action and save a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if the US peace plan ditches the idea of two independent nations. Palestine is concerned that the long-awaited plan, due to be unveiled next month, is heavily biased in favour of Israel. While a global consensus supports a two-state solution, “we would be extremely happy to show that there is more than one player in the field, trying to determine how we move forward,” said Riyad Mansour, Palestinian ambassador, urging the global actors to take practical steps.
Although the plan attempts to provide economic opportunity to improve the lives of Palestinians, Palestine preemptively rejects its contents. Furthermore, the electoral campaign of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that promised to annex more Palestinian territory is deemed to be a “pretext” representing the US approach. However, President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner who drafted the plan said that “there will be tough compromises for both sides”.
The Palestinians also called for an international conference to reaffirm global support toward the two-state solution, yet the attempt has been unsuccessful. Another suggested option would be a peace quartet organized by the UN. However, while the prospects remain uncertain, “if this is what they want to force on us – one-state reality – the Palestinian people will accelerate their reproduction machines and increase the number of Palestinians to face apartheid,” Mansour concluded.
