Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said he will reject President Donald Trump's long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, suggesting the proposal will favor Israel and demand unacceptable Palestinian sacrifices.
Trump is set to announce the proposal alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday.
The blueprint—overseen by Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner—is widely expected to validate right-wing Netanyahu's nativist and security-first policies regarding Palestinians. It could be a welcome boon for Netanyahu, who is also facing indictment over fraud allegations.
Few expect Trump's plan to be neutral. Indeed, Palestinian officials cut ties with the White House early in Trump's presidency in protest of his decision to defund Palestinian refugee organizations and government agencies.
Abbas—who heads the Fatah-controlled National Authority that nominally controls the West Bank—said Monday he would not accept Trump's deal, The Jerusalem Post reported.
"Trump is a dog and the son of a dog," Abbas said. "They called me from Washington and I did not pick up the phone… I said no and I will continue to say no.
"We are going for difficult days and we are beginning to bear the consequences of the refusal. Resistance must be escalated at all points of friction. All young people must be encouraged."
The region has been waiting for Trump's so-called "deal of the century" since he entered the White House in 2017.
The plan's roll out has been beset by delays, not least because of the turbulent political situation in Israel where voters are preparing to head to the polls for the third time in one year. Trump has been unquestioningly supportive of arguably the most right-wing Israeli government in history.
Already, the president has effectively recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, acknowledged the occupied Golan Heights as Israeli land, and said his administration no longer considers West Bank settlements illegal, in contravention of international law.
The administration has offered hints that it will seek to win the Palestinians over with economic incentives and pressure from regional Arab states. But the peace plan could also back Israeli annexation of the West Bank settlements and much of the Jordan Valley, which would strike another blow to the beleaguered two-state solution.
The Times of Israel reported Tuesday that additional Israel Defense Forces are already being deployed to the Jordan Valley in preparation to guard against possible violence prompted by the unveiling of the peace plan.
Abbas said Monday: "I was told I'll pay a heavy price for my foolish behavior. I do not have much longer to live and I will not go down as a traitor. It's either dying like martyrs or flying the Palestinian flag on the walls of Jerusalem."
The 84-year-old also called on the militant organizations Islamic Jihad and Hamas—the latter of which controls the Gaza Strip—to join him in resisting the proposal. AFP reported Tuesday that Hamas and Fatah officials will attend a rare bilateral meeting in the West Bank city Ramallah to organize joint opposition to Trump's deal.
This article has been updated to reflect recent IDF deployments to the Jordan Valley.
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