A United States peace plan that aims to resolve the decades old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians will reportedly provide international recognition of a Palestinian state with “limited sovereignty” and with a capital in East Jerusalem, if the Palestinians would agree that an international force will govern the Old city. According to the London-based pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat daily, which cited in its report “French diplomatic sources,” Washington’s plan does not include a right-of-return for Palestinian refugees and will provide a future Palestinian state with limited sovereignty. The reported plan also assures “Israel would maintain full responsibility over security on the borders,” while in the Gaza Strip, Egypt will assume responsibility for border-security. The plan further includes 40 billion dollars in US-aid toward the establishment of a Palestinian state and its institutions. TV7 was not been able to verify the report, yet American officials familiar with the ‘peace plan’ have reiterated Washington’s public position, in which the final-status agreement between Israel and the Palestinians would be subject to direct negotiations.
The reports on the U.S. peace plan came after Arab foreign ministers and Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit met on Monday in Brussels with their European counterparts and EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini. During the meeting the Arab officials told their European counterparts that the American peace plan was clearly bias in Israel’s favor and that it was unacceptable to the Palestinians in its current format. The Arab ministers also asked their European counterparts to assist with mediating between the two sides in light of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s declaration that the Trump Administration would not be accepted as a sole-broker to the long-stalled negotiations. The European top diplomats reportedly informed their Arab counterparts that they would not replace Washington’s role, but emphasized that they are willing to help. Because of the close relationship between Israel and the United States, European leaders believe that Washington was the only one that can pressure Israel into a peace deal.