The US government presented a plan for Israel and the Palestinian territories that repudiated hyper-globalism. It recognised nationhood as the right to self-determination made manifest. It acknowledged the equal right of Israelis and Palestinians to a nation that reflects their different cultures, aspirations and hopes for the future. It took aim at leaders who advance the cause of ideology at the expense of people’s welfare. But the Arab League rejected the plan outright.
US President Donald Trump announced the Peace to Prosperity plan last week. Consistent with Trump’s political style, it was presented as an appeal to people, not politicians. He drew a distinction between Middle Eastern leaders. The first group is driven by self-interest. It includes ideologues and theocrats who use religion to create discord and excuse ineptitude. In the other category are leaders who work to create the conditions conducive to the flourishing of their people, especially economic opportunities.
Trump acknowledged the importance of religion and ideology to nations, but suggested that practical progress was the first order of business.
The Trump plan marked a significant departure from internationalism. The culmination of the internationalist approach was UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which cast Israel as a coloniser and Palestine as a permanent victim. It denied Israel’s right to land occupied since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, refused to recognise changes to the 1967 lines and demanded the cessation of settlement activity.
Read the article by Jennifer Oriel in The Australian.
[Editor: Along side this piece by Jennifer Oriel it is worth reading the article “Every Time Palestinians Say ‘No,’ They Lose” by Bret Stephens in the New York Times.]