Arab countries and world leaders react to Middle East peace plan

Palestinian protesters wave the national flag and a portrait of president Mahmoud Abbas during a demonstration in the West Bank city of Ramallah. (AFP)
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Updated 29 January 2020
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Arab countries and world leaders react to Middle East peace plan

  • Jordan says it supports every genuine effort aimed at achieving just and comprehensive peace

As the world digested the details from the Middle East peace plan announced by Donald Trump on Tuesday, responses from the region ranged from optimism to outright anger. 
Here are the key responses to the plan:

JORDAN
“Jordan supports every genuine effort aimed at achieving just and comprehensive peace that people will accept," Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said, adding that the only path to a comprehensive and lasting peace was the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on 1967 lines and with East Jerusalem as its capital.

EGYPT
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry issued a statement favoring a solution that restores “all the legitimate rights” of the Palestinian people through establishing an “independent and sovereign state on the occupied Palestinian territories.” Egypt said it appreciates US efforts to resolve the conflict, and urged Israelis and Palestinians to “carefully study” the Mideast peace plan.

UAE
The UAE’s Ambassador to Washington issued a statement affirming the belief in the possibility of a “lasting peace and genuine coexistence”, stating that “the peace plan announced today offers an important starting point for a return to negotiations within a U.S-led international framework.”

UNITED NATIONS:
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the United Nations remains committed to realizing the vision of two states “living side by side in peace and security.” A spokesperson reaffirmed the UN position on the illegality of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and called for a solution based on the pre-1967 borders.

EUROPEAN UNION:
High Representative Josep Borrell said the EU will “study and assess the proposals”, adding that this will be done on the basis of the established EU position. This position respects all relevant UN resolutions and takes into account the legitimate aspirations of both the Palestinians and the Israelis. Most European capitals have expressed support for the negotiated solution. 

UK

"Only the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian territories can determine whether these proposals can meet the needs and aspirations of the people they represent," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said. "We encourage them to give these plans genuine and fair consideration, and explore whether they might prove a first step on the road back to negotiations."

RUSSIA

"We must enter direct negotiations to reach a mutually acceptable compromise. We do not know if the American proposal is mutually acceptable or not. We must wait for the reaction of the parties," Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said.

IRAN
The shameful peace plan imposed by America on the Palestinians is the treason of the century and doomed to fail," the foreign ministry said.

TURKEY 

The United States' so-called peace plan is stillborn," Turkey's foreign ministry said in a statement. "This is an annexation plan aimed at killing a two-state solution and extorting the Palestinian territory,"


Iranian explosive device falls in Jordanian city

Updated 8 sec ago
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Iranian explosive device falls in Jordanian city

  • Security teams respond to incident in Russeifa
  • No one hurt but police complain of being hampered by large crowds at scene

LONDON: An explosive device fell in the Jordanian city of Russeifa on Thursday morning, local authorities reported.

No one was injured in the incident, which came as the country ramps up its level of readiness as the Iran war continues to spread across the region.

The Public Security Directorate said that specialist security teams promptly responded to an area of 30th Street in Ruseifa, the country’s fourth-largest city, and managed the explosive device.

However, a media spokesperson expressed regret at the large number of citizens who gathered at the scene, despite repeated warnings against approaching dangerous objects and the need to maintain public safety, the Petra news agency reported.

The spokesperson said the crowd obstructed the authorities’ efforts to handle the device and warned that violators would be held accountable.

Jordan is one of several countries to have been targeted by Iranian missiles and drones as Tehran retaliates against US and Israeli military attacks that have pounded its military and infrastructure capabilities since Feb. 28.