Trump’s peace deal: A Gaza-centered Palestine
The Trump administration is elaborating on a Mideast peace plan of trilateral or even quadruple land swaps, involving Israel, the Palestinians, Egypt and, possibly, Jordan.
On Jan. 2, US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman met with new Zionist Camp leader Avi Gabbay. It was a friendly meeting to give the two men a chance to get to know each other. There were no major revelations and just a single comic pause, when Gabbay asked about the fate of the American peace plan. The ambassador's response was unequivocal: The United States has not abandoned the idea of reaching an arrangement. One might wonder when the Americans would realize that the peace plan idea has abandoned them.
Meanwhile, there isn’t a single member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Cabinet who has any expectations about US President Donald Trump's peace initiative. Instead, they share a rare consensus: It's all about nothing, and it will never amount to anything. The same sentiment prevails in Ramallah: Trump’s "ultimate deal" is dead and buried. Please avoid any condolence calls.
