Iain Dale: "Trump's Middle East peace plan is dead before it's even been proposed"

28 January 2020, 20:35 | Updated: 28 January 2020, 20:37

Iain Dale explained why he thinks President Trump's Middle East Peace Plan is "dead before it's even been proposed."

Today Donald Trump presented his long-awaited peace plan, promising to keep Jerusalem as Israel's "undivided capital." The President said the "realistic" two-state solution is a "win-win opportunity" for both Israel and the Palestinians, however the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said "a thousand noes" to the proposition.

Iain commented that while it was "a lot more detailed than expected", he felt no sense of optimism for the success of the President's plan after reading reports and listening to analysis from LBC's Washington correspondent Simon Marks.

"I have come to the conclusion sadly that it is probably dead before it's even been proposed because there is very little in it that the Palestinians could actually grab on to and say 'this is worth negotiating'," said Iain.

"I think the question its proponents need to answer is 'what's in it for the Palestinians'," he continued, "because if you're going to come to an agreement, there has to be something in it for both sides."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Donald Trump has been "the greatest friend that Israel has had in the White House."

Iain commented that this is unsurprising as "on first sight you look at these proposals and it gives Israel virtually everything that it's ever wanted."

Iain said that the Palestinians have rejected this plan before it has even been publicised which while premature, Iain could understand why.

He did however think Palestinian authorities should sit down with Trump's administration in an attempt to make an agreement of sorts.

The British Foreign Office responded to President Trump's peace plan.