West floated 55 peace plans since 1949: Historian

ISTANBUL

The West has floated nearly 55 plans for Middle East peace since 1949, all of which were against Palestinian interests, renowned Palestinian historian Salman Abu Sitta said.

In an exclusive interview with Anadolu Agency, Abu Sitta said the latest of these plans was the U.S. scheme known as “deal of the century”.

“I have calculated 55 [peace] projects proposed by the West since October of 1949,” he said, arguing that these plans were basically against Palestinian interests.

“These projects were in violation of international law as most of them have called for settling Palestinian refugees in neighboring countries,” he said.

“All these schemes have failed, thanks to Palestinian resistance,” Abu Sitta said.

Since taking office in early 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump has been formulating the “deal of the century” for peace between the Palestinians and Israel.

Most details of the plan remain vague, but according to past statements by U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, the scheme would give Israel parts of the West Bank which are considered “occupied territory” under international law.

Abu Sitta lamented that the U.S. plan is being formulated amid silence from the Arab world.

“Although it is going to be difficult for the Palestinians to thwart the plan, but they will eventually abort it as they did with past suspicious plans,” he said.

Ever since Trump unilaterally recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in late 2017, the Palestinian leadership has rejected any role for the U.S. in the stalled Palestine-Israel peace process.

U.S.-sponsored peace talks collapsed in 2014 over Israel's refusal to halt settlement building in the occupied West Bank.

Awakening

Abu Sitta said that the Palestinian population will reach 18 million in ten years, half of whom are in the diaspora, while the rest will be living in the Palestinian territories.

“How can these people be sent to live in another country, unless the plan seeks to massacre them,” the historian said, in reference to reports speaking about relocating a number of Palestinians to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

These reports, however, have never been confirmed.

“The Palestinians have to continue their steadfastness and never give up their right to return in order to fail this plan,” Abu Sitta opined.

He believes that holding a fresh election for the Palestinian National Council, a body responsible for formulating the policies of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), will be an effective tool for resisting Trump’s plan.

“The Palestinian home front must be rearranged via democratic means with a view to confronting the deal of the century,” he said.

The Palestinian historian said that when the Arab peoples see the Palestinians united, “they will stand behind them and force their regimes to take the correct position”.

“Developments in the Arab region demonstrate that the people will no longer accept unjust regimes or accept unjust peace deals accordingly,” he said.

Asked about his optimism regarding the position of the Arab public, Abu Sitta said the “Palestinian cause remains vivid among the Arabs”.

“We see Palestinian flags being raised in protests in Algeria and Sudan,” he said, in reference to street protests that forced the ouster of the autocrat leaders in both countries.

Arab protests “are proof of an Arab awakening, which will serve the Palestinian cause,” he opined.