JOINT STATEMENT ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PEACE PLAN

The unveiling of the so called “Deal of the Century” is yet another disgraceful act by the Trump Administration.  A “peace deal” is supposed to entail conflict-ending terms that are to the mutual benefit of both parties, and can only be reached through a level playing field. This so-called “deal” is nothing more than an attempt by President Trump to impose an extremist Israeli agenda on the Palestinians, without regard to their most basic rights or aspirations.  This Administration’s policy towards the Palestinians is not based on any moral or legal principles, but caters exclusively to the President’s far-right domestic constituency at the expense of peace, stability, and the U.S. national interest.

The timing of this plan’s release also appears to be politically motivated, as President Trump seeks to distract the public’s attention from the mounting evidence of his corruption in the midst of his impeachment trial in the Senate. The same can be said of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also facing corruption charges. As Dr. Hanan Ashrawi stated, this is a “lethal diversionary tactic at the expense of Palestinian rights and international law.” 

The Trump administration’s so-called “deal” is a violation of International Law, attempting to legitimize illegal Israeli settlements in the face of world-wide condemnation.  As the occupying power, Israel must abide by the norms of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) governing situations of belligerent occupation, particularly the 1907 Hague Regulations and Geneva Convention IV (GC IV).  As part of its obligations, Israel is forbidden under Article 49 GC IV from forcefully transferring or deporting the local population from the occupied territory, or from transferring its own population into the occupied territory.  The establishment and continued development of Israeli settlements in the West Bank is not only a clear violation of international law, but even amounts to a war crime (rule 156; ICC Statute, art. 8(2)(b)(viii)).

It has also been the long-standing policy of U.S. through successive administrations that Israel’s settlement policy is indeed a violation of International Law and an impediment to peace. Just a month before President Trump took office, President Barack Obama broke with a pattern of U.S. shielding of Israel from accountability at the United Nations, allowing a resolution to pass without U.S. objections that reaffirmed the status of Israeli settlements as “illegitimate” and a “flagrant violation under International Law”. While the Obama administration failed to apply meaningful pressure on Israel to change course, its approach of criticizing Israeli violations of international law and Palestinian rights gave the U.S. better credibility to pursue a peace agreement.

After over 70 years of displacement and over 50 years of brutal occupation, the Palestinian people remain steadfast and resilient in demanding justice and restoring their rights. There can never be a just and lasting peace agreement without securing the freedom of the Palestinian people. To that end, we call upon our fellow Americans to reject the Trump Administration’s ‘Charade of the Century,’  and call for applying real accountability on Israel, by conditioning U.S. military aid to Israel on Israel ending the occupation, so that both Israelis and Palestinians can live together in peace and security.

Signatories:

1. Humanitarian Relief Fund HRF

2. Jerusalem Center of Greater, Chicago

3. Palestinian American Woman Association

4. Palestinian American Youth League

5. Save Families

6. The American Federation of Ramallah Palestine AFRP

7. Palestinian American Council/ Louisiana

8. Americans & Palestinians for Peace.

9. Palestine Aid Society of America.

10. Palestine American League, California.

11. Al Nahda Center

12. The Arabic Network of Culture, Opinion, and Media.

13. PACC- The Palestinian American Community Center – Arizona.

14. American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee

15. Coalition of Palestinian American organizations.

16. US Palestinian Council

17. Palestinian American Community Center

18. Dallas Palestine Coalition

19. Palestinian Democratic Coalition-USA.

20. Students for Justice in Palestine/Chicago

21. American Muslims for Palestinian AMP/Chicago

22. Deir Debwan Charity

23. National Arab American Women’s Association (NAAWA)

24. Palestinian American Council – Chicago

25. Methodist Federation for Social Action

26. Utahns for a Just Peace in the Holy Land

27. Peace for Children

28. Palestinian Americans Athletic Association

29. Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition

30. Jerusalem Conference

31. Shido Alrehal

32. Palestinian American Cultural Center- Houston

33. US Palestinian Community Network

34. Sacramento Regional Coalition for Palestinian Rights

35. Palestinian American Coalition – SF / Bay Area

Press Conferences on Bahrain Economic Conference

On Tuesday, June 25th, USPC co-hosted  two major Press conferences in Washington, DC and Patterson, NJ on the Bahrain Economic Conference. In Washington, DC, speakers included USPC’s Dana Barakat, Abed Ayoub of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), Zeyad Dubbeyneh of the American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine (AFRP), Dr. Jim Zogby of the Arab American Institute (AAI), Maher Massis of the Coalition of Palestinian American Organizations (CPAO), and Tarek Herzellah of American Muslims for  Palestine (AMP). 

In Patterson, NJ,  speakers included USPC’s president Basem Hishmeh and board member Diab Mustafa, and representatives from AMP-NJ, Mukmas Charity Fund, Jews for Palestinian Right of Return, Palestinian American Community Center (PACC), and Deir Yassin Remembered. 

Both Press conferences adhered to similar points when speaking about the flawed workshop and the outright rejection of Kushner’s “Deal of the Century”: 

The Trump Administration’s decision to proceed with its’ economic workshop next week in Manama, Bahrain, while continuing to enable Israel’s abuse and denial of basic Palestinian rights, is a bad faith effort at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and is destined to its deserved failure.

Since 2017 Trump administration has made a series of decisions designed to subvert Palestinian rights politically and cripple them economically. These decisions include declaring Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moving the American embassy to Jerusalem, closing the US consulate that serves Palestinians in Jerusalem, shutting down of the PLO office in Washington, DC, ending the use of the word “occupation” in official State Department reports, and cutting off all funding for UNRWA and Palestinian hospitals.

As evident by the aforementioned actions, the Trump administration is attempting to bribe the Palestinians to exchange their political rights for better living conditions. But Palestinian rights are not for sale, and Palestinians will reject this preposterous proposal.

A true proposal to improve the lives of Palestinians must end the primary source of Palestinian suffering: Israel’s occupation. Palestinian rights, as thoroughly supported by international law and UN resolutions, must be respected in order to achieve an end to the conflict.

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