Donald Trump’s peace plan for Israel and Palestine (The Hindu)

• The West Asia peace plan unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to give the Israelis what they have long wanted — an expansive state with Jerusalem as its “undivided capital” and tight security control over a future Palestinian state.
• With his plan, Mr. Trump is actually pushing to revive the stalled two-state talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians, but on his own terms.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had earlier spoken against the two-state solution, has accepted the Trump plan, while appearing beside the President in the White House. The Palestinians were absent.

What’s the plan?

• Both Israel and the Palestinians make non-negotiable claims over Jerusalem. The plan says Jerusalem will not be divided, and it will remain “the sovereign capital of the State of Israel”.
• The capital of Palestine can occupy far-flung eastern neighbourhoods lying beyond “the existing security barrier”, which can be renamed Al Quds, the Arabic name for Jerusalem.
• Israel does not have to dismantle any of its illegal settlements in the West Bank.
• To the Palestinians, the deal offers the possibility of a US-recognised quasi sovereign state that will not, however, have a standing army; they will also have to give up violent resistance to Israel, and ensure the disbandment of Hamas, which governs Gaza.
• Observers have said that the deal, which was drawn up without any meaningful Palestinian participation, is loaded in Israel’s favour. 

Will it work?

• The Palestine position, which is backed by most of the world powers, is the formation of an independent, sovereign Palestinian state based on the 1967 border with East Jerusalem as its capital.
• Issues like the right of return of the Palestinian refugees are to be settled in final negotiations. But Mr. Trump has effectively rejected the Palestinian claims outright and asked them to make more compromises.
• He seeks to give Jerusalem and about 30% of the West Bank to the Israelis and has denied the right of return of the Palestinian refugees — all for truncated sovereignty for the Palestinians in a state that would practically be surrounded by Israel.
• And for this, the Palestinians should take action against militant groups, stop supporting Palestinian families of those jailed or killed by Israel and refrain itself from questioning the occupation in international fora.

Way forward:

• It's hard to overlook the injustice in demanding that the Palestinians accept further annexation of the West Bank.
• Issues such as the status of Jerusalem and the right to return of refugees, an internationally accepted right, and the final borders should be resolved through talks, not by dictating terms
  to one party.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) Consider the following statements:
1. In 1929, Bombay hosted the Indian National Congress session, in which Jawaharlal Nehru was president.
2. On January 26, 1930, the Congress passed the Poorna Swaraj resolution or the Declaration of Independence.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: B
Mains Questions:
Q.1) Critically examine the two state solution in the Israel – Palestine conflict situation.