A Leaky Boat: Trump’s Plan for Palestinians

Author: بسام زكارنة

Trump's administration initiative for the Palestinians is not a peace plan but an overt attempt to prettify the occupation and solidify Israeli dominance under a humanitarian guise while simultaneously containing the tsunami of international recognitions and global support for the Palestinian people, as well as easing the anger of European and American streets over the continued Israeli violations.

The plan is marketed as a path to "stability" but in reality, it is a boat whose surface shines while its bottom is leaky; it appears to be a lifeboat but in truth, it is a tool for drowning the Palestinians, displacing them, and depriving them of their basic rights.

The plan focuses on limited humanitarian and security measures such as a temporary ceasefire, a symbolic exchange of prisoners, limited entry facilitation, and the creation of an Arab-international security force without genuine Palestinian representation, along with reforms for the Palestinian Authority based on open demands and a reconstruction plan that Israel can suspend at any time. Despite their apparent importance, these measures remain hostage to the occupation's whims and provide no guarantees for the Palestinians regarding their implementation, nor do they address the roots of the conflict: the occupation, settlement, and the Palestinians' right to self-determination.

Previous experiences have confirmed that any interim agreement has achieved nothing but postponing killing and destruction, and programs for reconstruction and relief will remain captive to Israeli political and security calculations, especially with a far-right Israeli government continuing to expand settlements and displace Palestinians, making the establishment of an independent and contiguous Palestinian state nearly impossible.

The plan ignores core issues: explicit American and Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, Jerusalem and holy sites, the right of refugees to return or be compensated, sovereignty over natural resources, and ending the arbitrary detention of prisoners and the whitewashing of Israeli prisons. Any real peace requires the evacuation of all settlements, a timeline for ending the occupation, and international guarantees to protect holy sites and resources, along with a fair solution to the refugee issue.

Despite claims of "American pressure on Israel," the facts demonstrate a close coordination between the two sides, and American initiatives are often formulated by Israeli hands in line with Israeli interests and demands, then presented to the world in the name of peace. It is well known that Trump and his administration are an aggressor and a major part of the ongoing aggression and occupation, preventing recognition and the establishment of a Palestinian state; they do not seek peace but rather to consolidate the occupation, prolong Netanyahu’s government, soothe the global conscience, and absorb the outrage of the world’s masses against the violations, the killing of children, and the starvation of the Palestinian people.

Real peace cannot be built on managing suffering or temporary promises of reconstruction but rather on ending the occupation, dismantling the settlements, protecting the holy sites, and ensuring full Palestinian sovereignty and explicit recognition of the Palestinian state. Any Palestinian observer, regardless of their orientation, should reject any proposal from the Trump administration as it is the primary enemy of the Palestinian people, leading policies of collective, moral, and political extermination and preventing any path to genuine peace.