5/17/2018

ISRAEL/MIDDLE EAST/PALESTINE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration’s still-secret Middle East peace proposal is running into headwinds after deadly clashes at Israel’s border fence with the Gaza Strip and the move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem rattled Arab governments who could help bring the Palestinians to the negotiating table. The document—months in the works and mostly finished—lays out what the U.S. sees as key steps to take toward peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. It offers proposals to address disagreements over borders, security and refugees, U.S. officials said, nudging the two sides toward what President Donald Trump has described as ‘the ultimate deal.’ The latest round of negotiations during the Obama administration collapsed in 2014…But following the U.S. decision to move the embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, America’s Arab allies have become increasingly pessimistic that the peace effort will work. On Thursday [5-17-18], the foreign ministers of the Arab League’s 22 member nations met to address the embassy move and Monday’s clashes at the fence. The group on Thursday released a resolution that reaffirms the Arab League’s commitment to East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.”

-WSJ Staff, “Mideast Turmoil Complicates Arab Support for Trump Peace Plan,” The Wall Street Journal, May 17, 2018 6:27 pm