'A state along 1967 border, not economic gains': Palestinians reject Trump's peace plan

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'A state along 1967 border, not economic gains': Palestinians reject Trump's peace plan

The Palestinians and Jordanians denounced the deal as a "new Balfour Declaration" and "slap of the century"

Wednesday January 29, 2020 5:20 PM, ummid.com News Network

[File photo]

Occupied Jerusalem/Gaza/Amman/Istanbul: Thousands of people in Palestine,Turkey and Jordan hit the streets Wednesday as United States President Donald Trump unveiled his much awaited Middle East Peace Plan, termed by him as the "Deal of the Century".

Trump revealed his plan on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu standing by his side at the White House. Introducing the proposal as a "win-win solution" for both Israelis and Palestinians, he said the deal would ensure the establishment of a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The plan also comes with about US $50 billion aid. The Palestinians, Jordanians and the Turkish however denounced the deal as a "new Balfour Declaration" and "slap of the century".

"We are here to express our rejection to Trump's deal ... It opens the door for Israel to annex more Palestinian territories," Salem Hasan, one of the protestors, told Xinhua.

Biased Towards Israel

Chanting slogans against the United States, the protestors said the deal is doomed to fail as it fails to ensure the Palestinians' legitimate rights, Xinhua news agency reported.

Subhi Qasem, another protestor, expressed similar views.

"Any deal that does not address the final status issues such as refugees, water and security, and does not ensure sovereignty for the Palestinians, is rejected. Trump's deal is all in favour of Israel," Qasem told Xinhua.

The protestors called on the Arab and Islamic countries to take a firm stance against the US-proposed deal, saying it will only lead to more tension and chaos in the Middle East.

Palestinian politicians and activists slammed the proposal, with many pledging to "fight against the plan".

"He [Trump] is giving away what he does not own, to people who have no right to it," Fakhry Abu Diab, a Palestinian activist in Silwan neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem, told Al Jazeera.

"It is obvious that Trump is repeating history by establishing new Balfour Declaration. This deal only secures Israeli interests while violating international law and some of the main pillars of a Palestinian state - Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley," Abu Diab said.

Jerusalem

"After decades of sacrificing our lives for this cause, we want our freedom and a Palestinian state along the 1967 border, not some economic gains. We completely reject this plan and will continue to fight it," he added.

'Will never give up Jerusalem as our capital'

Former Palestinian Authority minister Ziyad Abu Zayyad said the plan was completely unacceptable to the Palestinians.

"We will never give up Jerusalem as our capital, nor the Jordan Valley and areas in the West Bank as part of our state," he told Al Jazeera.

"Trump and Netanyahu have no right to give away Palestinian rights," he said, adding that he expects a strong reaction on the streets across Palestine.

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