A letter signed by some three dozen former European leaders and ministers called on the European Union to reaffirm its support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to reject the United States' long-promised and imminently expected "deal of the century" if it is unfair to the Palestinians.
The letter, published in the U.K.'s Guardian newspaper, comes amid reports that the closely guarded plan could be published either this month or next and after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would extend Israel's sovereignty over settlements in the West Bank.
The letter – signed by 37 ex-officials including the former prime ministers of Italy, France, and Sweden and a number of foreign ministers – said the EU must insist on "a Palestinian state alongside Israel on borders based on the pre-1967 lines with mutually agreed, minimal and equal land swaps; with Jerusalem as the capital for both states; with security arrangements that address legitimate concerns and respect the sovereignty of each side and with an agreed, fair solution to the question of Palestine refugees."
It called on the EU to "reject any plan that does not meet this standard."
"Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories are sliding into a one-state reality of unequal rights. This cannot continue. For the Israelis, for the Palestinians or for us in Europe," the letter warned.
"Failing to seize this opportunity, at a point in time when this order is unprecedentedly challenged, would have far-reaching negative consequences," it added.
The Trump administration's peace plan has been in the works for two years and very few details have emerged, but U.S. officials involved have hinted that the plan will be a departure from what has been traditionally proposed by previous administrations.
The U.S. and the EU have long expressed their commitment to a two-state solution, but the Trump administration has been the first to imply that it may propose alternatives.
Netanyahu vowed earlier this week to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank, a move that could derail hopes for a Palestinian state. But U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that he doesn't believe such a move would impede on the peace plan.
Sources familiar with the Trump administration's "deal of the century" told ABC News last week that the plan – spearheaded by a delegation of U.S. officials including the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner – could be rolled out as early as this month.
Another report by Reuters said that the proposal would only be published once Netanyahu has established his new coalition government – a process which could stretch to May.
The ABC report said the U.S. peace plan "aims to bring a non-traditional approach" to resolving the decades-long conflict by including a robust economic development package for the Palestinians in addition to proposals addressing the more politically-charged elements of the conflict.
The Palestinian Authority – which swore in a new government of loyalists to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday – has boycotted the Trump administration since its unilateral decision to upend decades of cautious foreign policy and recognize Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem.
The Trump administration has, in response, cut hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinians in an effort to force them to the negotiating table.
This article was originally published by i24NEWS. Read more at https://www.i24news.tv/en.
