Tuesday, July 10, 2018

The Forthcoming U.S. Peace Plan for Israel and the Palestinians

As the quality of life for Palestinians and Gazans continues deteriorating, Mahmoud Abbas has a moral and social obligation to his citizens to consider the United States’ forthcoming peace plan.

Jared Kushner is correct in challenging Abbas and questioning his commitment to peace, in light of his historic reluctance to make any concessions in order to achieve regional stability. What Abbas must recognize is that peace will not be handed to him on a silver platter. Like any negotiation, it will require a meeting of the minds and a degree of compromise among each of the principals before an agreement can be attained.

Instead of automatically discounting the American proposal, Abbas should contemplate how it could help the Palestinians get back on their feet. If there is an economic stimulus component incorporated into the U.S. plan, it would be a dereliction of duty for Abbas not to study it. It is time for Abbas to let go of the past, look towards the future, and finally focus on the people, not politics.

No comments:

Post a Comment