Following repeated promises he made to fully support Israel and its feverish settlement drive Donald Trump has been inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States a couple of days ago.
Analysts’ views diverge on whether Trump would implement his promises and what might happen if he actually implemented them.
Will the dream of a Palestinian State come to an end?
Soon after Trump won US elections Israeli Minister of Education Neftali Bennet said: “The era of the Palestinian state has come to an end” referring to Trump’s support for settlements and his refusal to establish a Palestinian state.
Bennet called on the Israeli government to withdraw its offer to establish a Palestinian state adding “Trump’s victory will push us to immediately give up the notion of establishing a Palestinian state” adding “This is the position of the elected president…the era of the Palestinian state has ended.”
Hussam al-Dajani a political analyst said “The settlement process will be in danger if Trump carries out his promises” noting legalizing settlements means terminating the idea of a two-state solution.
Dajani told the PIC “Trump’s era will bring with it negative impacts on the Palestinians and in case he carries out his promises the worst is yet to come” warning that it might trigger an explosion in all Palestinian territories.
Political science scholar at Al-Najah University Abdelsattar Qassim confirmed “Israel was strongly present in Trump’s electoral campaign and his support for it will be a main pillar of the US foreign policy.”
Adnan Abu Amer a specialist in Israeli affairs described Trump as a right-wing person a radical who adopts anti-Palestinian stances and extremely biased in favor of Israel.
Wait and See
Abu Amer speaking to the PIC called “for waiting before judging Trump’s anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab positions and whether they will be ever implemented” adding however “there is a general feeling of despair among Palestinian political parties regardless of their political affiliation because of Trump’s clear pro-Israel positions.”
Dajani opined that Trump will go ahead with carrying out his promises at a time the US policy is more coherent than ever; the same positions of the Congress Senate and the radical American administration Trump has formed all have the same positions toward Israel.
Qassim agreed with Abu Amer that Trump will not pressure Israel and both agreed that Israel would have the complete freedom to do what it does to the Palestinians of continuing settlements and committing massacres against Palestinians.
Qassim said Palestinians will remain under the might of the Israeli military and Israel will have the complete freedom to go on with building and expanding settlements and will do what it believes is suitable.
According to Hebrew media sites the right-wing coalition in Israel was eagerly waiting for Trump’s victory in the elections and his arrival to office at the White House hoping to get more support for a new era of settlements construction on lands Palestinians plan to build their future state on.
The right-wing coalition government which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads is promoting a legislation which calls for annexing a large West Bank settlement to Israel in addition to another legislation which will legalize dozens of illegal Israeli settlement outposts in the West Bank.
