Trump Mapping Committee needs to break its deafening silence

[Published 12 August 2020]

Peace between Jews and Arabs after 100 years of unresolved conflict - promised with President Trump’s release of his deal of the century on 28 January - has stalled - with the continuing failure to produce a map translating Trump’s conceptual plan into an attainable reality.

Trump’s plan (See map below) proposed:

• Israeli sovereignty in about 30% of Judea and Samaria (West Bank)
• The remaining 70% plus Gaza providing “a realistic two-state solution that resolves the risk of Palestinian statehood to Israel’s security”

Incredibly Trump announced:

“My vision presents a “win-win” opportunity for both sides, Today, Israel is taking a giant step toward peace. Yesterday, Prime Minister Netanyahu informed me that he is willing to endorse the vision as the basis for direct negotiations—and, I will say, the General [Gantz] also endorsed, and very strongly—with the Palestinians. A historic breakthrough. 

This is the first time Israel has authorized the release of a conceptual map, illustrating the territorial compromises it’s willing to make for the cause of peace. And they’ve gone a long way. This is an unprecedented and highly significant development.”

Trump continued:

“We will form a joint committee with Israel to convert the conceptual map into a more detailed and calibrated rendering so that recognition can be immediately achieved. We will also work to create a contiguous territory within the future Palestinian State for when the conditions for statehood are met, including the firm rejection of terrorism.” [Bolding by author]

This joint committee began its work just two weeks later in February - but since then little has been heard from the current Committee:

• Israeli representatives - Knesset Speaker Yariv Levin (Likud), National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat, Prime Minister’s Office director Ronen Peretz, and Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer on the Israeli side; and
• US representatives - Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, his adviser Aryeh Lightstone, and the US National Security Council’s Israel and Palestinian affairs director Scott Leith.

Leith had been unable to join the Committee in Israel because of Covid 19 until he visited Israel in June with Avi Berkowitz, US Special Representative for International Negotiations.

Complications and differences could be holding up the plan’s finalisation such as those detailed in June by Lior Schillat – the director of the Jerusalem Institute of Policy Research:

“When we say mapping, it isn’t just opening up Google Maps. It means applying complex geographic information system layers that display land ownership and land use. It’s true that there aren’t any new mountains that have suddenly appeared in [the northern West Bank], but there are building plans in progress that need to be accounted for. The territory is extremely complex and dynamic. 

The decisions being made today are very politically charged, and therefore the people involved are from the political echelon. However, this may be why they’re having a hard time completing the task in the amount of time [by July, 1].”

Ambassador Friedman had optimistically predicted in February:

“We’re going to go through a mapping process to convert a map which is drawn of more than a million to one into something which really shows on the ground how the territory will be put together 

It’s not unduly difficult, but it’s also not simple, because there are a lot of judgment calls. We don’t want to do this piecemeal.

We want to do it once, holistically, in totality, and get it done right”

Failure to finalise a “detailed and calibrated map” after six months is disturbing.

The Committee needs to break its deafening silence to confirm that Trump’s vision is geographically achievable - not simply a shimmering mirage.

Netanyahu Flies Into Washington On A Wing And A Prayer

[Published 2 March 2015]


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to Washington this week is going ahead despite unsuccessful attempts from far and wide to shoot him down in flames before he was even airborne.

President Obama’s unsuccessful attempt to stop Netanyahu’s visit by claiming breach of protocol — represents an ugly attempt to deny Netanyahu his right to freely address the Congress — the very nerve centre of the world’s leading democracy.

Netanyahu has not been deterred by many Democrats threatening to boycott his speech.

At least 30 House Democrats and 4 Democrat Senators will not be on hand to hear what Netanyahu has to say concerning the threat to world security and peace posed by Iran’s implacable march towards producing a nuclear bomb and its threat to use such a bomb to eradicate the State of Israel.

Netanyahu has ignored the entreaties of a panoply of American Jewish groups and Israel’s opposition parties pleading he cancel his visit:

“When there is something that is connected to our very existence, what do they expect the prime minister to do, bow his head and accept something that is dangerous in order to have good relations? I think the relations are strong enough to overcome the disagreements, and that Iran with an atomic bomb is much more dangerous than one disagreement or another [with the US].”

American-Israeli relations were irreversibly intertwined when the Congress - voting 407-9 — and the Senate — voting 95-3 - overwhelmingly endorsed the commitments made by President Bush in his letter to Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon dated 14 April 2004.

Among those commitments was an unequivocal declaration that:

“The United States is strongly committed to Israel’s security and well-being as a Jewish state.”

Netanyahu’s address will fortuitously take place on the eve of the Jewish Festival of Purim when Jews remember the foiled plot in Persia (now Iran) in the 4th century AD:

“to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day.”

Netanyahu has observed:

“it is the same Persia with a regime that is waving the banner of destroying the state of the Jews. The means by which they intend on implementing this threat is with many atomic bombs.”

Netanyahu will be flying into Washington accompanied by Israel’s ambassador to the United States — Ron Dermer — and all Netanyahu’s top advisors.

They will—in the words of that famous World War II song - be:

Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer
Comin’ in on a wing and a prayer
With our full crew on board
And our trust in the Lord
We’re comin’ in on a wing and a prayer

As for trusting in the Lord — Obama and those churlish Senators and Congressmen who don’t have the decency to listen to what Netanyahu has to say — might well recall the following words from Psalm 83:

1.“O God, do not keep silence;
do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
2 For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
those who hate you have raised their heads.
3 They lay crafty plans against your people;
they consult together against your treasured ones.
4 They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”
5 For they conspire with one accord;
against you they make a covenant

The Jews have long memories of past attempts over many centuries to exterminate them — as Jew-hatred once again spreads its evil roots around the globe.

The ancient Jewish Book - Ecclesiastes — proclaims:

“there is no new thing under the sun.”

Pray President Obama heeds Netanyahu’s message.