Maliki: Trump's peace plan biased, harms Palestinian sovereignty

CAIRO - 3 February 2020: Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki on Monday reiterated rejection of US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan as talks to reach that deal did not involve the Palestinian side.

His remarks came during a meeting for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Saudi Arabia's Jeddah, few days after Trump announced his controversial plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The plan recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and allows Israel to annex the West Bank settlements.

Maliki described the plan as unilateral, unacceptable and biased towards the Israeli side, saying it would eliminate all opportunities for peace, end the aspiration of the Palestinian people to establish its independent and sovereign state.

Trump's peace plan violates international law, Maliki said, adding that it obliges the Palestinian people to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, and give it control over the capabilities, security and borders of the Palestinian state. It also paves the way for the policy of illegal annexation of Palestinian lands to continue, and cancels any commitment to international law, he noted.

On Saturday, Arab League (AL) Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit held a series of consultations with Arab foreign ministers, especially those taking part in the Arab ministerial meeting for the first time, to discuss the Palestinian issue.

Earlier the same day, the AL chief received Kuwait Foreign Minister Ahmed Nasser al Mohammed, Sudan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Omar Gamareldin, Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti along with Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Alhakim, the chairman of the current AL session.

The meetings took up consultations regarding the updates of the Palestinian cause as well as the Middle East peace plan of President Trump.