Palestine calls for boycotting US ‘Deal of Century’

By Gulsen Topcu and Eyser el-Lys

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - The Palestinian Authority on Monday called for the boycott of a ceremony in the U.S. to announce the Trump administration’s Middle East peace plan.

Palestinian State Presidency spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh called on all ambassadors of Arab and Muslim countries invited to the ceremony not to attend, according to Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced on several occasions his refusal of the U.S. plan as it does not address the issues of Jerusalem, refugees and borders.

Last week, the White House announced that President Donald Trump would meet Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his election rival Benny Gantz, who heads the centrist Blue and White Party, amid reports that the plan would soon be revealed.

Trump said he believed the peace plan could work and he had spoken to the Palestinians "briefly” about it.

Israel's Channel 12 and 13 said Trump's plan would recognize Israeli sovereignty over virtually all settlements in the occupied West Bank, which are illegal under international law.

That would effectively move the U.S.-recognized Israeli border further east into Palestinian territory and Israeli sovereignty would be recognized over the whole of Jerusalem, which Palestinians seek as the capital of their future state.

The plan would also recognize a demilitarized Palestinian state at a later time reportedly, but Palestinian officials are highly unlikely to accept the plan, which Channel 12 said will also demand Hamas' disarmament and Palestinian recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

If the plan is revealed this week, it would come with Trump in the midst of his Senate impeachment trial and as the Israeli Knesset votes on possible immunity for Netanyahu in three graft cases.