Haniyeh Warns Against US “Deal of the Century”

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has said that the US had offered the Palestinian Authority a Beit-ul-Moqaddas suburb, Abu Dis, as an alternative to East Beit-ul-Moqaddas for the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Speaking at a meeting with Palestinian clan leaders in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Haniyeh labeled US President Donald Trump’s recent decision, to recognize Beit-ul-Moqaddas as Israel’s capital, a ploy to demolish the Palestinian cause in line with the so-called deal of the century, Al Jazeera reported.

“The US is still offering deals and continues to be on the side of the Palestinian Authority one way or another, in order to give them a capital or entity in the Abu Dis area, away from Beit-ul-Moqaddas, with a bridge linking to al-Aqsa Mosque allowing for the freedom of prayer,” he said.

Haniyeh said certain regional forces are seeking to divide the West Bank into three sections, in addition to creating a political entity in the Gaza Strip with its own controlling powers.

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a White House adviser, has been spearheading efforts to gauge the possibility of resuming the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Haniyeh said the US decision to recognize Beit-ul-Moqaddas as the capital of Israel introduces new risks that could affect the nature of the relationship between Palestine and Jordan.

He cited reports of discussions regarding an alternative homeland for Palestinians and a confederation between Jordan and Palestine.

Haniyeh said he has spoken to King Abdullah of Jordan about what he saw as the dangers arising from the Beit-ul-Moqaddas decision, the resettlement project and alternative homeland.

The New York Times reported in early December that a Saudi proposal for a peace initiative between Israelis and Palestinians offers the village of Abu Dis as the future capital of Palestine instead of East Beit-ul-Moqaddas.

The proposal was made by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman during Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ visit to Riyadh in November.

According to the proposal, the Palestinians will get a non-contiguous state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over which they will have only partial sovereignty while the majority of Israeli settlements in the West Bank will remain. The proposal does not grant Palestinian refugees and their descendants living in other countries the right of return to Israel.