PA reactions to election of Donald Trump as America’s next president
PA reactions to election of Donald Trump as America’s next president
Abbas congratulated Trump
- hopes “a just peace will be achieved during his tenure”
PA leadership:
“We will work with any president
the American people elect,”
expresses hope the new administration
“will implement the two-state solution”
PLO Executive Committee member:
Trump was lying when he said he would move
the US embassy to Jerusalem
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Nan Jacques Zilberdik
Following this morning’s announcement of Donald Trump having been elected the next US President, several Palestinian Authority leaders issued almost identical statements, expressing their hope that Trump’s administration will be the one to bring “peace to the region” and implement the two-state solution. Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas congratulated Trump:
“President Mahmoud Abbas today, Wednesday [Nov. 9, 2016], congratulated American President [Elect] Donald Trump on his election, and expressed hope that a just peace will be achieved during his tenure.”
[PNN, independent Palestinian news agency, Nov. 9, 2016]
Other leaders gave similar statements, all stressing that “peace and security” will only be achieved if the two-state solution is implemented and a Palestinian state is established, with East Jerusalem as its capital:
PA Presidential Spokesman and Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Abu Rudeina:
“'We will work with any president the American people elect on the basis of achieving peace in the Middle East, which is based on the two-state solution within the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem the capital of the State of Palestine.'
Abu Rudeina added in a statement today, Wednesday [Nov. 9, 2016], that the American administration understands that achieving stability and peace in the region will come through a fair solution to the Palestinian issue according to [the resolutions of] the international bodies, which will lead to the elimination of the chaos and extremism in the world.”
[WAFA, official PA news agency, Nov. 9, 2016;
Official PA radio station The Voice of Palestine, Nov. 9, 2016;
PNN, independent Palestinian news agency, Nov. 9, 2016]
Chief Palestinian negotiator and Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee Dr. Saeb Erekat:
“Chief Palestinian negotiator [and Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee] Dr. Saeb Erekat said that the Palestinian side hopes that the next American administration will implement the two-state solution.
Erekat said that the achievement of security, peace, and stability in this region will only be carried out through the establishment of the independent State of Palestine within the 1967 borders, whose capital is Jerusalem.”
[PNN, independent Palestinian news agency, Nov. 9, 2016]
A more outspoken reaction to the US election came from PLO Executive Committee member and Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) political bureau member Tayseer Khaled, who commented on the possible impact on the “Palestinian national cause.” Among other things, he called Trump a liar, predicting that Trump, contrary to his promises, will not transfer the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem:
“There is no reason for concern, because [although] we know that Donald Trump is relatively closer to Israel than Hillary Clinton is, his policy here is clearer than her policy... Donald Trump will not transfer his country’s embassy to Jerusalem as he promised, and he knew he was lying. On the issue of settlement, he will not object to construction in Jerusalem and what are called the settlement blocs. He will not sign blank checks for [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, but he undoubtedly will not pull our chestnuts out of the fire [either]. Therefore, it depends on our policy and our will, and if his Palestinian policy remains the same we will pay dearly.”
[PNN, independent Palestinian news agency, Nov. 9, 2016]
In April this year, the official Palestinian daily commented on Trump’s candidacy with this cartoon, in which Trump is seen beheading the torch of the Statue of Liberty. [Official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 14, 2016]
In September, Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki advocated that Palestinians “transfer alliances” because both US presidential candidates were bad for Palestinians, having declared their “support for Israel”:
“[Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki] emphasized: ‘The US cannot be counted on or trusted, as its leaders are declaring that they support Israel; [US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary] Clinton says that she will prevent the submission of a resolution that condemns Israel at the [UN] Security Council, while [US Republican presidential candidate Donald] Trump says that he will move the embassy of his country [to Jerusalem]. Therefore, we must transfer our alliances in the future, especially in light of the existence of an active and real Russian role in the region, which stands against the American role in the field.’”
[Ma'an, independent Palestinian news agency, Sept. 27, 2016]
Similarly, the PA’s Supreme Fatwa Council in September “condemned the election promise that US Candidate Donald Trump made to recognize Jerusalem as the ‘united capital’ of Israel if he is elected as president,” and stated that “exploiting Jerusalem as part of the American election campaign constitutes disrespect of international law.” [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 30, 2016]
The following is a longer excerpt of the commentary by PLO Executive Committee member Tayseer Khaled on Trump's victory:
Headline: “Tayseer Khaled: If the policy remains the same we will pay dearly”
“PLO Executive Committee member and Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) political bureau member Tayseer Khaled wrote in response to the American presidential election results, the victory of Republican candidate Donald Trump over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, and their influence on the Palestinian cause, in a post on Facebook and Twitter: ‘Republican candidate Donald Trump defeated Democratic party candidate Hillary Clinton in the American presidential elections, and the predictions have begun regarding the influence this will have on the [Palestinian] national cause and on the process of the political reconciliation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.’
Khaled added: ‘There is no reason for concern, because [although] we know that Donald Trump is relatively closer to Israel than Hillary Clinton is, his policy here is clearer than her policy. However, we must not forget that Clinton, in her role as American Secretary of State, just sold us illusions for years, and that the Democrat, [US President] Barack Obama, is the one who signed the largest American military aid deal with Israel for $38 billion over the next 10 years.’
Tayseer Khaled concluded his post by saying: ‘Donald Trump will not transfer his country’s embassy to Jerusalem as he promised, and he knew he was lying. On the issue of settlement, he will not object to construction in Jerusalem and what are called the settlement blocs. He will not sign blank checks for [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu, but he undoubtedly will not pull our chestnuts out of the fire [either]. Therefore, it depends on our policy and our will, and if his Palestinian policy remains the same we will pay dearly.”
[PNN, independent Palestinian news agency, Nov. 9, 2016]