Palestine praises African Union, EU's rejection of Trump's unworkable 'Deal of the Century'

Palestine's foreign minister has praised the EU and African Union for rejecting Trump's Deal of the Century plan.

2 min read

05 February, 2020

Jerusalem is a controversial issue [Getty]

Palestine's foreign minister praised the EU and African Union for rejecting US President Donald Trump's "Deal of the Century", despite the warm reception the so-called peace plan received from Egypt and its Gulf allies.

Both organisations expressed concern on Tuesday for Trump's deal which included annexing illegal Israeli settlements and other parts of the West Bank, essentially stripping Palestinians of any chances of statehood.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell underlined in a statement the bloc's commitment to a two-state solution, based along the 1967 boundaries, with the possibility of mutually agreed land-swaps making "an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable state of Palestine".

Read also: Surrender to Israel or disappear: Trump's 'Deal of the Century' is an ultimatum to Palestinians

Borrell said the US initiative "departs from these internationally agreed parameters".

The AU's chairman, Moussa Faki, reiterated its unswerving support for the Palestinian people and right to exclusive statehood with occupied East Jerusalem as its capital.

Faki lambasted Israel for the controversial deal, which was "prepared without any consultation with the legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people", and which "disregards the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people".

Palestine's foreign minister praised both institutions for their support, saying their alternative routes are paving way for a just solution according to the Palestinian Authority [PA] official news agency Wafa.

"The issuance of this statement prior to the African Union summit, to be held in Addis Ababa next Sunday, would pave the way for the African Summit to adopt a precise statement or resolution clarifying the refusal of the deal by the African Union and its countries," Riyad al-Malki said.

He described the EU statement as a "victory" and recognised that the bloc rejected Trump's plan after pressure from Washington.

"The EU's statement is a new blow to the Trump administration and the 'diplomacy of piracy' practiced by the American administration, which disregards international law and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, especially its right to build an independent state on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital," Al-Maliki said.