The plan addresses the status of Jerusalem, taking into account the historic connection of Jews and Muslims to that city. The ancient Jewish capital in Jerusalem will remain united under Israel. The future state of Palestine will have a capital, including parts of East Jerusalem east of the security barrier. If Israel and the Palestinians reach a final agreement, President Trump will be proud to stand with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas when we fly the American flag over the US Embassy to the state of Palestine for the first time.
The vision supports a just settlement for Palestinian refugees without jeopardizing the national character of Israel. If implemented, the plan will ensure Palestinian refugees have the choice to return to the state of Palestine, integrate in the countries where they currently reside, or resettle in a third country other than Israel. It will also establish a generous trust to support and compensate refugees, finally empowering them to build their lives in a land where they enjoy the same rights and privileges as their fellow citizens.
Past experience has shown us that no peace agreement can be successful unless it fully meets Israel’s security requirements. Our plan does not ask Israel to take additional security risks. Rather, we have outlined a mechanism that will allow Israel to reduce its security footprint in the West Bank over time while maintaining overriding security responsibility. This process will be based on a single guiding principle: the more Palestinians do, the less Israel will have to do.
Our plan economically empowers the Palestinians, while helping fully integrate Israel into the region. It includes a historic $50 billion economic package for the Palestinians and other measures designed to ensure Palestinian businesses can compete freely and fairly in the global economy. It will also serve as a platform for the United States to continue working to advance normalization between Israel and Arab states, unlocking massive economic benefits and helping ensure stability across the region.
This is a pivotal moment. We can choose to work together now to build on this unprecedented opportunity or return to the same old talking points and positions that lead us to where we are today. Palestinians may have issues with aspects of this plan. But to address them, they should identify the areas they would like to improve and agree to negotiate with Israel. Failure to do so would be to miss an opportunity which may never come again.
