The 'deal of the century', or real estate business

When the two-day conference, convened to present the economic dimension of the 'peace plan' touted as made for Palestine,  ended in Bahrain the plan is still laying where it started.   The prime movers in US administration,  also basically real estate tycoons -  President  Donald Trump and his son in law Jared Kushner -  came up with the deal with a lot of hype as deal of the century( yes, deal, not plan,  for businessmen anything is 'deal'),  but it was marked by its absurdity.    

The purported goal of the plan  was normalization of the relations between Israel and Arab countries and thus  to ensure peace.  But the parties who wanted to trade in the land of Palestinians -  the victims in the crisis - wthout facing them,   had thought they could whitewash the injustice of the century,  and find a 'final solution' to the problem by using friends in the Arab world and dangling some funds.   Experts have already said that although it may enable Israel make its presence felt in the Arab world,  the new 'deal'  will not even touch the tip of the conundrum. 

What Kushner unravelled is a 50 billion dollar plan – intended to be distributed among Palestine and its neighbours  Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, and bring welfare.  At the same time,  the political conent of the 'peace deal' that formed the crux of the problem, i.e. the status of the Palestinian state,  borders,  repatriation of refugees,  the policy regarding Israeli occupation  and annexation,  is said to be kept by Kushner in strict confidence!   Everybody has by now realised that other than helping US and Israel strengthen the Arab collective against Iran,  this deal does not have anything to do with the solution to the real Palestinian problem.

For this very reason,  the Palestinian representation at the Manama conference was limited to a few businessmen from West Bank.  In Gaza there were protest strikes,  and Palestinian leaders boycotted the conference.   All parties now recognize what an economic package without political independence would mean:  stronger chains,  more congested prison cells.

As far as known,  the pittance thrown at the victims is the price of a deal that confines the Palestinans to 12 per cent of their land,  gives their natural resources liberally to Israel,  and legitimizes illegal occupation.    By any assumption,  the intent of the new plan is to help Israel to legally own the Palestinian land annexed by it and also legalise Jewish settlements built illegally.   Many see this as a trap to make it appear as though Palestinians agree to relinquish everything from the right of refugees to return and their military and political sovereignty,  and that all kinds of occupation enjoy legal validity -  and the acceptance of Palestine. And what will rise therefrom is not a Palestinian state,  but a plan of a larger Israel,  where Palestinians can live as second class citizens.  The discrimination that exists today will become legitimate.  Therefore,  Palestinians let no mistake be made about their stand:  Palestine is not up for sale.

As a matter of fact,  all through history todate,  Europe and America have only betrayed Palestine.  It extends right from illegally apportioning the Palestinian soil to Jews drawn from various countries, through vetoing scores of UN resolutions upto deceiving Palestinians several times in the name of peace.  The quarter of a century since the much-made of Oslo treaty alone will speak for the treachery in the duplicity.    Using the more gullible ones of Palestine leadership,  they turned that nation subject to more Zionist servility.  PLO,  which fondly hoped that a Palestinian state would become a reality with minor concessions,  took much longer to see into the truth.  Even now,  they do not have an independent country,  nor sovereignty.   Jerusalem has not been released.  There are neither borders nor human rights.  Palestinians are denied even a right to their own material assets.  West Bank and Gaza remain split into two separate units.  At the same time,  Israel continues to annex more and more areas and populate them.

Not only did the US not try to prevent Israel's unilateral moves, it has also been giving Israel all support and financial aid.   When the US,  which recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and shut down the PLO office in Washington,  dons the cloak of a mediator,  who is going to knowingly fall into tha trap?   Currently there is a trickery going on of befriending Arab countries,  with the Palestine issue in focus.  If America gets prepared to bless Palestinians,  they are likely to hear only one plea in response:  please do not come to help us.

America and European countries are not the only ones responsible for the sad plight of Palestine today.  Countries that got virtually reduced to subordinate levels of the US state department,  and the UN that abdicated its obligations are both complicit in the guilt.  The Palestininan nation,  who  in spite of having to suffer occupation,  embargo, armed attacks and plunder of resources,  have been making remarkable resistance with a rare tenacity.   And today in front of their morale,  the pranks of deceivers and their lackeys are becoming a laughing stock.