The Trump Plan: Moving the Lines

Originally published by myesha.org.il, translated and edited by Hillel Fendel

Map of the West Bank detailed in Trump's Deal of the Century

What exactly is Trump's Deal of the Century? This question has been up in the air ever since it was festively presented at the White House during Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to Washington in January.

Here at the Yesha Council for Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria, we have studied the 180-page book that comprises the Deal, with all its clauses and addenda. For nearly the past four months, we have been carefully studying and reviewing the text of the plan and all its ramifications on a daily basis. One thing is certain: It's a historic deal - and those of its aspects that will be accepted in one form or another will have tremendous long-term consequences for Jewish life in Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley.

The text of this proposed compromise between the Israelis and the Arabs of Yesha [Judea and Samaria] basically makes for easy reading, though it includes not a few general principle and details.  As explained in the plan itself, the nitty-gritty details have not yet been worked out, and are to be decided in direct Israel-PA negotiations.

Still and all, media interviews with PM Netanyahu and US Ambassador David Friedman have somewhat clarified for us several points that, in written format, were left vague.

Danger!

What we can now say is this: We are now more certain of what we at first only suspected – namely, that this outline, as it appears at present, is dangerous for the Jewish communities in Yesha.

Land Concession is Like Wife Sharing

Rabbi Aviner on the Deal of the Century
[Translated by Hillel Fendel]

Former Beit El Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, Rosh Yeshivat Ateret Cohanim in the Old City, is interviewed by Rabbi Mordechai Tzion

Rav Shlomo Aviner

Q. Some say we should accept the Deal of the Century because it's the best deal we have ever received, and we won't get a better one, and if we try for too much we'll end up with nothing.

A. Of course we'll receive better offers! The reason why this proposal is less terrible than the others is not because the Americans suddenly fell in love with us. It is because, with G-d's help, our diplomatic standing in the world has become much stronger – militarily, economically, and in terms of our international relations.

And all of a sudden we see that the Arab nations around us would like normalization with us. And so our position is improving all the time. In any event, we don't make any deals with the Land of our life's blood.

Q. Some say that politics is just talk anyway, and therefore we can agree to this deal, because for sure the Arabs will refuse, and then we'll come out the good guys and we'll reap the benefits.

A. Regarding the Land of Israel, even just talk of betrayal is a terrible sin. It would be like a man who says that he agrees to lend his wife to his neighbor a few days a week, in the knowledge that his neighbor won't agree; this is also betrayal.