President Donald Trump considers that both Israel and Palestine are hindering the peace process in the region. He said that both sides need to make necessary compromises to achieve a peace agreement.
Trump admitted that controversial Israeli land settlements have indeed had a significant bad impact on the peace process, and said that he thinks Israel has to be more careful with the arrangements.
“Right now, I would say the Palestinians are not looking to make peace, they are not looking to make peace. And I am not necessarily sure that Israel is looking to make peace. So we are just going to have to see what happens,” Trump said. “I think both sides will have to make hard compromises to reach a peace agreement,” the president added.
Trump will reduce aid to Palestinians refugee if Palestine don’t negotiate
President Donald Trump said he wouldn’t give a timeline for releasing the United States’ plan for peace between Palestine and Israel because he is not convinced that the parts involved are committed to the peace process. He believes that both Israelis and Palestinians are hindering the process.
Trump had already threatened Palestinians to cut off part of the aid the United States gives to the United Nations agency that helps Palestinians refugees. Trump said he is withholding $65 million in funding.
“That money is on the table and that money is not going to them unless they sit down and negotiate peace,” said President Trump last month while he was at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. He was beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
As well, the president said that the Israeli settlements had been an obstacle in the negotiation, and because of them the talks have gotten even more complicated. Therefore, they will need to discuss this issue.
“We will be talking about settlements. The settlements are something that very much complicates and always have complicated making peace, so I think Israel has to be very careful with the settlements,” stated the U.S president.
It is important to remember that president Trump, himself, complicated the negotiations, even more, when he announced back in December that the U.S embassy to Israel was to be moved from Tel Aviv to the disputed Jerusalem, recognizing thus the sovereignty of the Israelis over the sacred city. This caused disapproval from the Palestinians and the entire international community. The decision was wholly condemned at the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Jerusalem is off the table
Trump also said during the World Economic Forum that the Jerusalem issue is entirely off the table in the negotiations. It is clear that the historical role of the United States as a broker in the peace process between Israel and Palestine is weak now and many countries trust less than the United States can guarantee peaceful, just and even conversations between the parties involved.
“I wanted to make it clear that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel,” he reaffirmed. “As for specific boundaries, I would support what both sides agreed to.”
Source: The Hill