Trump plan violates Palestinians’ legitimate rights: Top Arab MPs

The Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIU) has reiterated its absolute rejection of US President Donald Trump's so-called deal of the century on the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict, terming the contentious plan as a violation of the Palestinian nation’s legitimate rights.

Representatives of 20 Arab parliaments participated in an emergency AIU meeting titled “Supporting the Palestinians in their Just Cause” in the Jordanian capital, Amman on Saturday to discuss the implications of the controversial US plan.

In their final communiqué, the top Arab parliamentarians vehemently rejected any unfair or unilateral solution that does not fulfill the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among which is the right to establish an independent state, with Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.

“This plan represents a new chapter of violations of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people after their decades-long suffering,” said the communiqué, calling for increased Arab support for the Palestinians in their struggle for self-determination and statehood.
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“This requires unifying the Arab ranks and mobilizing the efforts to support the question which represents a top priority for the Arab joint action,” read the communiqué.

The chief Arab lawmakers described the US move to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as the Israeli “capital” “a dangerous escalation that threatens the security of the region and cuts the road to peace opportunities, paving the way for a religious war to which Israel will be a major party.”

The union called on the Arab countries to adopt legal measures that could put an end to Israel’s unilateral moves in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The communiqué called Trump’s plan as a unilateral agreement which does not represent a step towards just and comprehensive peace.

“Peace will be unlikely without recognition of the Palestinians’ right to statehood, the Palestinian refugees’ right to return to their homes and receive compensations for their prolonged suffering and commitment to the UN resolutions as basic point of reference for a just, comprehensive and durable settlement to the conflict,” it said.
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On January 28, Trump unveiled his so-called deal of the century, negotiated with Israel but without the Palestinians.

Palestinian leaders, who severed all ties with Washington in late 2017 after Trump controversially recognized Jerusalem al-Quds as the so-called capital of the Israeli regime, immediately rejected the plan, with President Mahmoud Abbas saying it “belongs to the dustbin of history.”

Palestinian leaders say the deal is a colonial plan to unilaterally control Palestine in its entirety and remove Palestinians from their homeland, adding that it heavily favors Israel and denies them a viable independent state.