Donald Trump’s Peace to Prosperity plan for the Middle East envisages
an outcome with characteristics similar to apartheid, say 50 former
foreign ministers and leaders from across Europe
As Europeans dedicated to promoting international law, peace and
security worldwide, we express our deep concern about President Trump’s
Middle East plan, titled Peace to Prosperity. Trump’s “Peace Plan” plagiarizes a 40-year old Israeli initiative
The plan contradicts internationally agreed parameters for the Middle
East peace process, relevant UN resolutions, including security council
resolution 2334, and the most fundamental principles of international
law. Instead of promoting peace, it risks fuelling the conflict – at the
expense of Israeli and Palestinian civilians alike, and with grave
implications for Jordan and the wider region. It has been met with
widespread opposition in the region, in Europe, and in the United
States.
The plan allows for annexation of large and vital parts of the
occupied Palestinian territory and legitimises and encourages illegal
Israeli settlement activity. It recognises only one side’s claims to
Jerusalem and offers no just solution to the issue of Palestinian
refugees. It projects a future Palestinian “state” without control and
sovereignty over its fragmented territory. The map featured in the plan
proposes Palestinian enclaves under permanent Israeli military control,
which evoke chilling associations with South Africa’s bantustans.
Peace to Prosperity is not a roadmap to a viable two-state solution,
nor to any other legitimate solution to the conflict. The plan envisages
a formalisation of the current reality in the occupied Palestinian
territory, in which two peoples are living side by side without equal
rights. Such an outcome has characteristics similar to apartheid – a
term we don’t use lightly.
The international community, particularly the European Union, must
prevent such a scenario from unfolding, in order to preserve the dignity
and rights of the Palestinians, the future of Israeli democracy and the
wider international rules-based order.
We welcome the statement by EU high representative Josep Borrell
stressing the EU’s continued commitment to a two-state solution based on
the 1967 borders, in accordance with the international parameters. We
fully agree with the EU that Israeli “steps towards annexation, if implemented, could not pass unchallenged”, as they would impair the fundamental international norm banning the acquisition of territory by force.
Considering the urgency of the situation, we call on Europe to reject
the US plan as a basis for negotiations and to take immediate and
effective steps to counter the threat of annexation – and thereby
preserve the international rules-based order. Douglas Alexander Former minister of state for Europe and secretary of state for international development, United Kingdom Ben Bradshaw Former minister of state for the Middle East, United Kingdom Gro Harlem Brundtland Former prime minister, Norway John Bruton Former prime minister, Ireland Micheline Calmy-Rey Former foreign minister and president, Switzerland Ingvar Carlsson Former prime minister, Sweden Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz Former foreign minister and prime minister, Poland Daniel Cohn-Bendit Former co-president of the Greens-European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament, Germany Joe Costello Former minister of state for trade and development and chair of the European affairs committee, Ireland Willy Claes Former foreign minister and Nato secretary general, Belgium Massimo d’Alema Former foreign minister and prime minister, Italy Teresa Patrício de Gouveia Former foreign minister, Portugal Dominique de Villepin Former foreign minister and prime minister, France Ruth Dreifuss Former foreign minister and president, Switzerland Alan Duncan Former minister of state for Europe and the Americas, and minister of state for international development, United Kingdom Espen Barth Eide Former foreign minister, Norway Jan Eliasson Former foreign minister and UN general assembly president, Sweden Uffe Ellemann-Jensen Former foreign minister and president of the European Liberals, Denmark Benita Ferrero-Waldner Former foreign minister and European commissioner for external relations, Austria Sigmar Gabriel Former foreign minister and vice-chancellor, Germany Peter Hain Former minister of state for the Middle East, United Kingdom Lena Hjelm-Wallén Former foreign minister and deputy prime minister, Sweden Trinidad Jiménez Former foreign minister, Spain Tom Kitt Former minister of state for overseas development and human rights, Ireland Bert Koenders Former foreign minister, the Netherlands Martin Liedegaard Former foreign minister, Denmark Mogens Lykketoft Former foreign minister and UN general assembly president, Denmark Sven Mikser Former foreign minister, Estonia Per Stig Møller Former foreign minister, Denmark Holger K Nielsen Former foreign minister, Denmark Andrzej Olechowski Former foreign minister, Poland Marc Otte Former EU special representative to the Middle East peace process, Belgium Chris Patten Former vice-president of the European commission, United Kingdom Hans-Gert Pöttering Former president of the European parliament, Germany Jacques Poos Former foreign minister, Luxembourg Vesna Pusić Former foreign minister and deputy prime minister, Croatia Mary Robinson Former president and United Nations high commissioner for human rights, Ireland Jacques Santer Former prime minister and president of the European commission, Luxembourg Karel Schwarzenberg Former foreign minister and deputy prime minister, Czech Republic Robert Serry Former UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, the Netherlands Javier Solana Former foreign minister, Nato secretary general and EU high representative for common foreign and security policy, Spain Michael Spindelegger Former foreign minister and vice-chancellor, Austria Jack Straw Former foreign secretary, United Kingdom Gareth Thomas Former minister of state for international development, United Kingdom Erkki Tuomioja Former foreign minister, Finland Ivo Vajgl Former foreign minister, Slovenia Jozias van Aartsen Former foreign minister, the Netherlands Frank Vandenbroucke Former foreign minister, Belgium Hubert Védrine Former foreign minister, France Sayeeda Warsi Former cabinet minister and Foreign Office minister for the United Nations, human rights and the ICC, United Kingdom
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