Tag

Deal of the Century

Browsing
Palestinians burn posters depicting U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a protest against the U.S. intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem and to recognize the city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip December 6, 2017. (Photo: Ashraf Amra/APA Images)

The Biden Administration put forth its first detailed comments on its Israeli-Palestinian policy in a speech to the United Nations Security Council on January 26, 2021, which was also the first anniversary of the reveal of Donald Trump’s infamous “Deal of the Century.” A year later, America needs to show goodwill towards the Palestinians to gain their trust. For starters, the Biden Administration should begin by disavowing Trump’s “Deal of the Century” and declare it, and all that which resulted from it, as null and void.

Palestinian children, clad in masks and face-shields due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, play inside their kindergarten, in Gaza City on November 23, 2020. (Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour/APA Images)

If there ever was a year in recent history that was truly unforgettable, 2020 is it. In Palestine, COVID-19 did not stop the occupation, and in many cases exacerbated the devastating effects of 53 years under Israeli military rule. On top of the pandemic, we witnessed major shifts in global politics with widespread regional normalization, and the defeat of US President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, global movements for justice like Black Lives Matter, and the fight for justice in Palestine continued to transcend borders, thrusting marginalized voices into the mainstream in ways that were once unimaginable.

Nearly 70 percent of Palestinians say US policy will be the same or worse under a President Biden, and just 21 percent think he will improve matters. A new survey shows widespread rejection of Israel’s normalization deals, 90 percent calling the Gulf States’ recognition “betrayal,” “abandonment,” “insult” or “sadness,” while only 1 percent used words like “joy.”