Palestine: ANND Statement on the Deal of the Century

Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND) issues a statement on the ‘Deal of the Century’ and recalls that an immediate end to Israeli occupation and the recognition of the universal, indivisible and inalienable Palestinian Rights are the foundations of a sustainable Peace in the Middle East.

On January 28^th, 2020 the Middle East Peace Plan known as the Deal of the Century was presented by the US President Donald Trump in Washington DC. A “peace” plan that was built unilaterally and that considers the Israeli occupation as the exclusive partner. The “peace” plan markets an illusion of peace at the expense of Palestinian people’s rights and dignity. It gives further impunity to all human rights violations committed by the Israeli occupation, including through legalizing illegal Israeli settlements.

The two maps presenting the “State of Israel” and a Future State of Palestine- thus with no immediate recognition of the Palestinian State- envision as defined by “the Special Rapporteur  on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967” a ”scattered archipelagos of non-contiguous territory completely surrounded by Israel, with no external borders, no control over its airspace, no right to a military to defend its security, no geographic basis for a viable economy, no freedom of  movement  and with no ability to complain to international judicial forums against Israel or the United States.”

The plan is in violation of the international law and international humanitarian law and contradicts the following UN Resolutions:

• Resolution 181 of November 29, 1947: “Recommending partition of the Mandatory Palestine into Arab and Jewish states, and international status for the City of Jerusalem”
• Resolution 194 of December 11 1948: “establishes Conciliation Commission; protection of and free access to Jerusalem and other Holy Places; Resolves that the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or in equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible
• Resolution 303(IV) of December 9 1949: “Jerusalem should be administered by the United Nations as a corpus separatum, with special measures put in place to ensure the protection of holy sites.”

The Arab NGO Network for Development, in solidarity with the Palestinian people; calls upon the international community to condemn the unilateral ‘peace’ plan; and recalls that an immediate end to Israel’s prolonged occupation is at the center of achieving sustainable peace.

Commitments towards achieving sustainable development will prove fruitless as sustainable peace is at the core of sustainable development. This requires the recognition of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, addressing the illegality of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, ensuring accountability and holding the Israeli occupation responsible to all the grave human rights violations and the violations of the international laws committed.

Download the pdf version of the Statement.

Source: Arab NGO Network for Development (ANND).