The US President's Deal (Trump): Trump Vision 2020

·       Episode No. 12

·       Crossings + Gaza Standards

-        No matter what the texts of the Crossings (Chapter Eight) and the Gaza Standards (Chapter Nine) in Trump’s Vision (the Deal of the Century) tell stories!

·       Chapter Eight – From Trump’s Vision .. Deal of the Century – Part One - The Political Framework

·       First: Crossings

-    Reduce the risk of terrorism, trust, and slow the movement of goods and people throughout the region. - The goal of this vision is to obtain a rapid flow of goods and people across borders in a crossing system so efficient that it does not threaten security!

-        The State of Israel will work closely with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Palestine to continue improving the system for all border crossings. The border crossings system will be implemented in a way that minimizes Israel’s security role. To the extent permitted by law, security personnel at these crossings should wear civilian clothing without country identification!!

-        A board called the Crossings Board ("CROSSINGS BOARD"), made up of supervisors, three Israelis and three Palestinians and a representative of the United States, will be formed; the United States representative will be approved by both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel. This board will meet once every three months to address crossing-related concerns. The purpose of the Crossings Board is not to interfere with security measures at the crossings, but rather to find constructive ways to improve the flow and treatment of people who use the crossings. During the meetings, the parties will put in place a protocol by which to handle individuals who have complaints about their treatment at crossings that have not been resolved between the parties through the Crossings Board. The Crossings Board will set goals and metrics by which it can be measured whether it is achieving its objectives.

-        Each year the Crossings Board will present, directly to the governments of the State of Palestine and the State of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Arab Republic of Egypt, a report on performance and non-binding recommendations for improvements, together with targets for the following year.

-        All persons and goods will cross the border into the State of Palestine through regulated border crossings, which will be monitored by the State of Israel. Israeli border crossing officials, who will use the latest scanning and imaging technologies, have the right to confirm that no weapons or dual-use items or any other elements related to security risks are allowed into the State of Palestine.

-        If any item is denied entry, its export from the State of Israel to the State of Palestine will also be banned to avoid creating a competitive advantage for Israeli companies. To the extent that any dispute arises as to whether the denial creates a competitive advantage or not, that dispute will be referred to the Crossings Board.

-        The State of Palestine will have the authority to set its own independent trade policy to prevent the import of any material into the State of Palestine for economic or legal purposes!!

-        To fight terrorism while allowing for maximum economic follow-through in the State of Palestine, every effort will be made to mitigate the cost of production if a raw material or a subcomponent of a final item is considered risky and its importation into the State of Palestine must be controlled. Instead of banning a dual-use item, every possible effort should be made to develop measures to monitor transportation, storage, and end-use to prevent diversion of dangerous components to illicit use. Only individuals and companies security-vetted will be permitted to transport, store, and use dual-use items, and measures will be used as appropriate to ensure that raw materials or dual-use subcomponents are not used to produce weapons.

-        Either the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan or the Arab Republic of Egypt (whichever is more stringent). Given evolving security threats, the intention is for the metrics to be used as guidance and not be binding. However, the establishment of such non-binding metrics will allow the parties to achieve a practical, efficient, and secure processing of people at all crossings, taking into account minimum regional standards. Nothing in this section undermines the principles set forth in Annex 2C.

·       Second:  Gaza Standards

-        The people of Gaza have long suffered under the repressive rule of Hamas. They have been exploited as hostages and human shields, and subjected to intimidation. Hamas has let down the people of Gaza, diverting Palestinian funds in Gaza, including funds provided by international donors, to attack the State of Israel, instead of using those funds to improve the lives of the people of Gaza.

-        Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza 15 years ago was intended to advance peace. Instead, Hamas, an internationally-designated terrorist organization, took control of the territory and increased attacks on Israel, including the firing of thousands of rockets.

-        Under Hamas’s rule, the residents of Gaza have suffered from extreme poverty and deprivation. After years of progress, the donor community is fatigued and reluctant to make further investments so long as Gaza’s governance structure is run by terrorists who provoke confrontations that lead to more destruction and suffering for the people of Gaza.  This cycle can be broken if the international community unites to pursue a new path.

-        The State of Israel will not implement its obligations under the Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement unless:

-        The Palestinian Authority or any other national or international entity acceptable to the State of Israel fully controls Gaza, in accordance with paragraph (b)(2) below;

-        A

-        Disarmament of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine and all militias and other (terrorist) organizations in Gaza

-         Complete disarmament of Gaza

-        During negotiations, the parties will agree on a timeline for compliance with items (a)(1) through (3) above

-        B

-        If previous efforts to return all Israeli captives and the remains of Israeli soldiers are unsuccessful, then upon signature of the Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, all Israeli captives and remains must be returned.

-        If Hamas wishes to play any role in the Palestinian government, it must commit to the peace course with the State of Israel by adopting the principles of the Quartet, which include clear and permanent recognition of the State of Israel, commitment to nonviolence, and prior acceptance of the agreements and obligations between the parties, including the disarmament of all terrorist groups.

-        The United States expects that the government of the State of Palestine will include none of the members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad or their substitutes unless all of the above has occurred.!!

-        The international community must be prepared to provide compensation in the form of significant investments in order to fully and verifiably disarm the Gaza Strip. Once these standards are met, the economic vision will be ready for phased implementation whereby tranches of investment and state-building assistance are released upon achievement of milestones.

-        All standards set forth in this section titled "Gaza Standards" in this vision are referred to as "Gaza Standards."

-        Saturday, 8-2-2020