Al Ittihad stages dramatic comeback to defeat Al Kholood 4-3 in thriller    55 Saudi companies take part in Baghdad International Fair    10,295 illegal residents deported in a week    Nazaha arrests 158 ministry employees over corruption charges    Health minister: 40% fall in mortality rates caused by chronic diseases since 2017    Arab ministerial meeting in Cairo rejects displacement of Palestinians    Venezuela frees six detained Americans after Trump envoy meets with Maduro    Saudi Arabia's non-oil exports with Gulf countries soar 43% to SR9.4 billion in November    Fitch affirms Saudi Arabia's Credit Rating at 'A+' with a Stable Outlook    Saudi foreign minister and US Secretary of State discuss bilateral relations and regional developments    Small plane crashes into buildings in northeast Philadelphia, sparking fires and injuries    Trump imposes tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China, escalating trade tensions    Saudi Arabia mandates national attire for male secondary school students    Al Nassr signs Colombian striker Jhon Durán from Aston Villa    Al Hilal returns to winning ways with a dominant 4-0 victory over Al Okhdood    Al Ahli signs Brazilian winger Galeno from Porto on a long-term deal    Saudi composer Nasser Al-Saleh passes away at 63    Saudi drama icon Mohammed Al-Towayan passes away at 79    Singer and actress Marianne Faithfull dies at 78    Saudi Arabia launches inaugural Art Week Riyadh on April 6-13    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Lukewarm response to Trump's Mideast plan
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 29 - 01 - 2020

US President Donald Trump's Middle East plan prompted a lukewarm response from Europe and the UN, and a furious rebuke from key Muslim countries who denounced it as betrayal of the Palestinians.
Here are some of the reactions from around to the world to the plan, which had already been resoundingly rejected by Palestinian leaders before Trump launched it alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Palestinian Authority: Palestinian President Mahmuod Abbas, who has taken part in previous US-led peace talks with Israel but stayed away Trump's proposal, vowed that "this conspiracy deal will not pass".
He pledged to "resist the deal in all its forms" after meeting with various Palestinian factions in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "Our people will take it to the dustbin of history."
Europe: Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said the bloc will "study and assess" Trump's proposals on the basis of its commitment to a "negotiated and viable two-state solution that takes into account the legitimate aspirations of both the Palestinians and the Israelis."
Germany, the EU's most powerful player, echoed Borrell's point by calling for a balanced approach.
"Only a negotiated two-state solution, acceptable to both sides, can lead to a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians," German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said.
Britain, which is leaving the EU on Friday and has long had a special relationship with Washington, gave the warmest reaction.
"This is clearly a serious proposal, reflecting extensive time and effort," British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement.
Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke to Trump to discuss the plans.
Downing Street said the proposal "could prove a positive step forwards".
France insisted on a "two-state solution" to the conflict, and said said it would "carefully study".
"France welcomes President Trump's efforts and will carefully study the peace plan he presented," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The UN: The United Nations said it remains committed to a two-state solution based on the borders in place before the 1967 war, when Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza.
"The position of the United Nations on the two-state solution has been defined, throughout the years, by relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions by which the Secretariat is bound," said Stephane Dujarric, a spokesman for Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Russia: Russia said it would study the plan and called on Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate directly to find a "mutually acceptable compromise."
Introducing a note of doubt, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said: "We do not know if the American proposal is mutually acceptable or not. We must wait for the reaction of the parties."
Turkey: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lambasted the plan as "absolutely unacceptable".
"Jerusalem is sacred for Muslims. The plan to give Jerusalem to Israel is absolutely unacceptable. This plan ignores Palestinians' rights and is aimed at legitimizing Israel's occupation," Erdogan said, quoted by CNN Turk broadcaster.
"The plan outlined will not serve peace or bring about a solution," he added.
Iran: Iran, which does not recognize Israel and has been in a confrontation with the Trump administration, denounced the plan as a threat to regional stability.
"The shameful peace plan imposed by America on the Palestinians is the treason of the century and doomed to fail", the Iranian foreign ministry said.
Hezbollah: Lebanon's Iranian-backed movement Hezbollah, which Washington calls a terrorist group, said the plan represented an attempt to "wipe out the Palestinian people's rights", adding that the "shameful move... could not have been made without the complicity and betrayal of a certain number of Arab regimes."
UAE: The United Arab Emirates, which sent its ambassador to Trump's announcement alongside Netanyahu despite not recognizing the Jewish state, praised the plan.
"The plan announced today offers an important starting point for a return to negotiations within a US-led international framework," the UAE Embassy in Washington said on Twitter.
Egypt: Egypt called on "the two concerned parties to undertake a careful and thorough examination of the US vision to achieve peace and open channels of dialogue".
The foreign ministry added that negotiations should aim for "a comprehensive and just peace and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state".
Jordan: Jordan's foreign ministry said that an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders was "the only path to a comprehensive and lasting peace".
Qatar: Qatar responded cautiously, saying it welcomed efforts to broker "longstanding peace" but warned that was unattainable without concessions to the Palestinians.
"Qatar welcomes all efforts aiming toward a longstanding peace in the occupied Palestinian territories, appreciating the endeavors of the current US administration to find solutions for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," the state-run Qatar News Agency reported.
"Qatar reaffirms its commitment for supporting the Palestinian institutions, noting that peace cannot be sustainable if Palestinians rights in their sovereign state... including east Jerusalem, and the right of return are not preserved."


Clic here to read the story from its source.