UN, Jordan, Egypt and Western countries reiterate support for two states based on pre-1967 borders; Ankara calls outline ‘stillborn,’ Tehran says it’s ‘a nightmare’
By Times of Israel
Jordanians take part in a demonstration near the US embassy in Amman, January 28, 2020, to protest against the US peace plan. (Khalil MAZRAAWI/AFP)
International reactions came quickly following US President Donald Trump’s unveiling of his administration’s Israeli-Palestinian peace plan at the White House on Tuesday.
Many Western countries and international bodies said they needed time to assess the plan, reiterating their support for the longtime international consensus favoring a two-state solution to the conflict on the basis of the pre-1967 borders.
Jordan gave the plan a cool reaction, saying it remained committed to a two-state solution based on Israel’s pre-1967 lines. It also said it rejected any unilateral move by Israel, referring to the annexation plan.
Egypt, the first Arab country to reach a peace deal with Israel, urged Israelis and Palestinians to carefully study the plan, and Saudi Arabia expressed support for a return to negotiations. The European Union said it needed to study the outline more closely.
But the United Arab Emirates issued a strikingly positive reaction, with its ambassador to the United States saying on Twitter that his country “appreciates continued US efforts to reach a Palestine-Israel peace agreement.”
“This plan is a serious initiative that addresses many issues raised over the years. The only way to guarantee a lasting solution is to reach an agreement between all concerned parties. The UAE believes that Palestinians and Israelis can achieve lasting peace and genuine coexistence with the support of the international community. The plan announced today offers an important starting point for a return to negotiations within a US-led international framework,” he said.
Along with fellow Gulf Arab states Bahrain and Oman, the United Arab Emirates sent its ambassador to Trump’s announcement alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite the country’s not recognizing the Jewish state.
Saudi Arabia expressed its longtime support for the “brotherly Palestinian people,” and said it backed “all efforts aimed at reaching a just and comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian cause.”
“The Kingdom appreciate the efforts of President Trump’s Administration to develop a comprehensive peace plan between the Palestinian and Israeli sides; and encourages the start of direct peace negotiation between the Palestinian and israeli sides, under the auspices of the United States,” Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
#Statement | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has viewed the U.S. Administration’s announcement of its peace plan titled: “Vision for Peace, Prosperity, and a Brighter Future”.
Qatar called for a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and for allowing Palestinians into Israel as refugees, but also called for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
“The State of Qatar welcomes all efforts aiming towards a longstanding and just peace in the occupied Palestinian territories. It also appreciates the endeavors of President Trump and the current US administration to find solutions for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” Qatar’s foreign ministry said in a statement carried by the country’s QNA news agency.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations remained committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis in resolving their conflict on the basis of UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements.
He said the UN was also committed to realizing the vision of two states “living side by side in peace and security within recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 borders,” according to his spokesman.
“The position of the United Nations on the two-State solution has been defined, throughout the years, by relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions by which the Secretariat is bound,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Those resolutions call all Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal and call for a solution based on the borders before the 1967 Six Day War, with agreed land swaps.