The intersection of Israel’s election, US impeachment efforts and the resignation of US Special Envoy Jason Greenblatt create many roadblocks to what is already a failed peace proposal.
By Adnan Abu Amer | IMEMC News | Oct 9, 2019
With Trump’s constitutional crisis to consider, as well as Greenblatt’s resignation and the political deadlock in Israel, Palestinians and Israelis are adopting contrasting positions regarding the deal and its announcement.
Palestinians and Israelis are following the ongoing constitutional measures to impeach US President Donald Trump with great interest. They want to know what the implications will be for the so-called deal of the century; will, for example, its formal announcement have to be postponed due to Trump being otherwise engaged? There is also a nagging fear that the US President will be impeached, and that it will have negative consequences for Washington’s already waning involvement in what passes for a peace process.
The Palestinians welcome the legal and constitutional procedures against Trump, not least because he has put them under great pressure to accept the deal. Moreover, the so-called US peace envoys have stopped visiting the region, and Jason Greenblatt has announced his resignation. This coincided with Israel’s General Election and the political deadlock that has resulted.
The predictions are that impeachment measures will put an end to the Deal of the Century. It may well be postponed until Trump’s second term, assuming that he isn’t impeached, stands for office, next year, and is re-elected. All of this will keep Trump preoccupied, which is bad news for Israel; international affairs are not likely to be very high up on his agenda. Even if the impeachment is unsuccessful, he will be left humiliated and discredited.
In Israel itself, if Benjamin Netanyahu cannot form a coalition government, then it is possible that his great friend Trump’s influence and prominent role in the Deal of the Century will fade. Greenblatt’s resignation leaves behind conflicting opinions about its impact on the deal. As an ardent Zionist and supporter of illegal settlements, he has always spoken up, on Israel’s behalf, to the international community.
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