Palestine/Israeli update 11/23/2017..Kushner Plan That Plopped

The Kushner Plan That Plopped

Jared Kushner probed over Israel contacts

https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/jared-kushner-probed-over-israel-contacts

Special counsel Robert Mueller is reportedly probing Jared Kushner’s contacts with Israeli officials last year as Israel tried to derail a UN Security Council vote on its West Bank settlements. Kushner is Donald Trump’s son-in-law, a senior adviser and fixer. Former FBI director Mueller was appointed by the Department of Justice in May to lead a broad investigation sparked by allegations of ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The Wall Street Journal’s revelation of the probe into Kushner’s contacts with Israel comes as details emerge of an imminent Trump “peace plan” that would railroad Palestinians into surrendering their rights in exchange for a state in name only. According to the newspaper, Mueller’s “investigators have asked witnesses questions” about the involvement of Kushner “in a controversy over a UN resolution” passed before Trump took office that condemned Israel’s settlements, all of which are illegal under international law. Trump had posted his opposition to the resolution on social media and called the Egyptian dictator Abdulfattah al-Sisi, whose diplomats were sponsoring the resolution, to press him to pull it.

On Wednesday, Middle East Eye published what it said were exclusive details of Trump’s “ultimate deal” peace plan reportedly to be unveiled early next year. Citing a “Western diplomat” close to the US team preparing the proposal, Middle East Eye describes a rehash of Israeli-inspired plans to give Palestinians what amounts to limited self-rule on a few scattered plots of land – akin to the bantustans apartheid South Africa tried to establish to deflect calls for full rights for Black South Africans.

The US plan would call for a “Palestinian state” in the Gaza Strip and a few enclaves in the West Bank but key issues including the status of Jerusalem and the right of return for Palestinian refugees would be postponed.

So-called “final negotiations” would then be led by Saudi Arabia. Kushner reportedly visited Saudi Arabia to brief Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman – commonly known as MBS – and to ask for Saudi help to pressure Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas to accept the plan.

Earlier this month MBS summoned Abbas to Riyadh. According to Israeli media reports, the Saudi autocrat told the PA leader to accept the upcoming Trump peace plan or resign. Unnamed Palestinian officials told Middle East Eye that MBS offered to nearly triple Saudi Arabia’s monthly payments to the PA to $20 million if Abbas accepts it.

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