Jason Greenblatt, one of the key architects of the US deal of the century on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, unscrambled the UN anti-Israel stance, calling for supporting the vision of the Trump administration, AP reported.
However, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki rejected the US peace efforts, saying that there are all signs that the plan implies “conditions for surrender.”
Greenblatt said it was "surprising and unfair" that Indonesia, Kuwait and South Africa organized the council meeting and condemned Israel's behavior when it "was not even invited to speak at this session.”
According to the Palestinian Foreign Minister, after President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, it is "in blatant violation of international law, it is not possible to have faith" in a peace plan which was developed for two years by a group led by Greenblatt and his senior advisor and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.
“Every decision the U.S. administration has taken since has simply confirmed its disregard for Palestinian lives, for Palestinian rights" and for the two-state solution, he said.
"We cannot afford not to engage with any peace efforts but the U.S. efforts cannot be characterized nor can qualify as peace efforts, unfortunately," Malki said. "All indicates this far that this is not a peace plan, but rather conditions for surrender — and there is no amount of money can make it acceptable."
The US plans to reveal the plan in June.
Greenblatt told the Security Council "the vision for peace that we will soon put forward will be realistic and implementable" and "lay out the core issues of the conflict in enough detail that everyone will be able to imagine what peace could look like.”
"This is the right package of compromises for both sides to take in order to leave the past behind and start a new chapter, where there could be tremendous hope and opportunity in the region," he noted.
Greenblatt urged council members "to support the parties to get together to get behind this opportunity.”
According to him, "we will continue to speak the truth even when it is not welcome," starting with the UN's failure to condemn the "vicious, cynical, unprovoked attack" from Gaza a few days ago "that was intended to terrify, kill and maim Israelis.”
Malki told reporters that the US envoy's remarks gave him no hope for the US peace plan.
"I thought I was listening to an Israeli speaker ... rather than an American official," he said. "It seems that the American position has been totally taken by the Israeli position and right now the U.S. administration has no independent position."
