The US/Israel ‘Peace’ Plan: 3 Reasons to Reject it
Created without Palestinian input, the Netanyahu and Trump “Peace Plan” reinforces Israeli domination while pretending to seek peace. True justice requires equality, self-determination, and an end to occupation, not annexation repackaged as diplomacy.
Rev. J. Mark Davidson
10/2/20252 min read
Anyone who is serious about a just and lasting peace between Palestinians and Israeli Jews must reject the Netanyahu/Trump “Peace Plan.” Why? For at least these three main reasons:
It is a one-sided proposal. The proposal was hastily drawn up by a small circle of American and Israeli advisers – Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, U.S. Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Israeli Ron Dermer, a close Netanyahu aide. The plan was developed without any Palestinian input whatsoever. No Hamas negotiators were consulted. In fact, Israel has assassinated most of the members of the Palestinian negotiating team, including its most moderate and reasonable members. It was as if Palestinians do not exist. Heard that before. Of course, none of this is the least bit surprising. Since at least the days of the Balfour Declaration (1917), the western imperial powers, principally the United Kingdom and the United States, have openly favored the Zionist cause, and failed utterly to take seriously the legitimate needs, interests, and aspirations of the Palestinian people. A one-sided “peace” is obviously no peace at all.
It is Netanyahu’s plan. Indicted war criminal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu manipulated the plan to suit his purposes. He was given unilateral rights of final review for this proposal. At the last minute, before the press conference was set to start, Netanyahu rewrote key provisions in the peace proposal. Though a future Palestinian state was dangled in earlier drafts, Netanyahu made clear that is never going to happen. In exchange for the release of all the hostages, Israel was supposed to withdraw from Gaza and finally end its war of annihilation. Netanyahu sabotaged that idea, too. As he said in his UN speech to an empty auditorium, he intends to “finish the job.” While Palestinians were shut out of the process, Arab and Muslim leaders were minimally included. With one voice, they insisted on no Israeli annexation of the West Bank. Netanyahu axed it. Furthermore, Netanyahu’s announcements in the Hebrew-language press leave no doubt that he has no intention of being restrained. Netanyahu and the fanatical members of his coalition are determined to enact their expansionist vision of “Greater Israel.” This is no peace plan; it is Netanyahu’s wish-list.
The elements of a just and lasting peace are well-known; this plan avoids all of them. A just and lasting peace in Palestine-Israel is possible if and only if there is a viable political framework for Palestinians and Israeli Jews to co-exist peacefully in the land. A viable political framework means ending occupation and apartheid rule, dismantling illegal settlements, implementing the right of return, self-determination for both peoples, and full citizenship rights for all. Isn’t it finally obvious that war is not the answer? That there is no military solution? It has long been known that the path to peace lies in all the parties to “the conflict” respectfully, creatively, honestly addressing the root issues and gradually coming to resolution. In a process akin to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. Anything less is simply doomed to fail.