BRUSSELS – The European Union (EU) has served a major blow to US President Donald Trump as it has rejected some points of his proposed Middle East peace plan.
“The US initiative, as presented on January 28, departs from these internationally agreed parameters,” Borrell said. “Steps by Israel to annex Palestinian territory if implemented, could not pass unchallenged,” said EU’s policy chief Joseph Borrell in his statement.
He further said, “To build a just and lasting peace, the unresolved final status issues must be decided through direct negotiations between both parties”.
Issues pertaining to the borders of a Palestinian state and status of Jerusalem were still disputed between the parties.
Last week, Trump had unveiled its new peace plan terming it a last opportunity. Allowing the Palestinians to establish a capital on the outskirts of east Jerusalem, the US president during a press conference along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that “Jerusalem will remain Israel’s undivided, very important, undivided capital”.
The plan was accepted by Israel but Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas rejected it entirely and announced to cut all ties with Washington.
Earlier, the Executive Committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has rejected the US peace plan for Middle East.
The Foreign Minister level meeting of the Committee in Jeddah urged the member states to work with the international community with a view to confronting any action or proposal that is inconsistent with international law and relevant United Nations (UN) resolutions, the Radio Pakistan reported.
The meeting reaffirmed the right of the State of Palestine to sovereignty over all Palestinian land occupied in 1967.
