RAMALLAH – Palestinian leaders on Tuesday rejected US President DonaldTrump s peace proposal as an unacceptable capitulation to Israel thattramples on the long-standing aspirations of their people.
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas vowed the initiative unveiled inWashington would fail.
“This conspiracy deal will not pass. Our people will take it to the dustbinof history,” he said after a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah ofvarious Palestinian factions including Islamist group Hamas, which pledgedto “resist the deal in all its forms”.
Trump s proposal included a long list of measures directly in line withIsraeli interests, notably recognition of Jerusalem as the “undividedcapital” of the Jewish state.
“If Jerusalem is not the capital of the Palestinian state, how will weaccept that?” Abbas asked, stressing that it was “impossible for any child,Arab, Muslim or Christian,” to do so.
Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya said the Islamist group whichcontrols Gaza would never “accept any substitute for Jerusalem as thecapital of the Palestinian state”.
“We warn the whole world not to go along with this deal,” he said.
Trump s plan triggered immediate condemnation on the streets of the GazaStrip and the West Bank, with demonstrations expected to continue throughthe week.
Thirteen people were wounded in the West Bank in clashes with the Israeliarmy on Tuesday, the Red Crescent said.
One person was taken to hospital after being hit with a rubber bullet,while 12 others were suffering from exposure to tear gas, a spokeswomansaid.
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An AFP reporter said around 200 Palestinians confronted Israeli forces nearRamallah, burning photos of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu.
Trump delivered his plan in Washington alongside Netanyahu, his staunchally.
In Ramallah, some ignored Trump s presentation, preferring to drink coffeeand play cards, while others watched the television coverage of Trump andNetanyahu with disdain.
“There is no Palestinian or Arab who accepts Jerusalem is Israel,”23-year-old Firas Ladadwa said.
“Anyone who accepts this is a traitor.”
Trump touted his plan as a boon to the Palestinian economy that would bringbillions of dollars in investment.
But Mohammed al-Najjar, a 69-year-old sitting in a cafe in centralRamallah, dismissed such promises as “empty talk”.
“What Trump announced was not accepted by any Palestinian,” he added.-APP/AFP
