Somalia's Senate reprimands Trump over Israeli-Palestine peace deal

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia joined dozens of countries on Wednesday in reprimanding President Donald Trump over Israeli-Palestine peace deal, terming it "unrealistic".

In what Trump termed as "deal of the century", a series of proposals were floated in a bid to bring to a halt the world's longest conflict.

Both Israeli and Palestine have been at loggerheads over territorial integrity, with thousands dying from frequent bomblasts and rocket attacks.

The US has tried to mediate the conflict for decades but Palestinians have often rubbished the attempts as "not genuine" courses.

Somalia rejects US resolutions

And Somalia's Senate passed a resolution condemning the deal, which was televised from Washington DC by Trump himself, joining the list of many countries opposing it.

Some of the countries that have expressed reservations towards the deal include Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey, among others.

IIyas Ali Hassan, a Somalia senator, said the chamber voted on a resolution against Trump's proposal, which he said that "it technically rules out Palestine as a nation".

He said: "The house condemned the deal and voted on a resolution against it and we are not going to accept any deal which compromises the Palestinians' rights to have a state with Jerusalem as its capital."

Trump snubbed by Palestinians

Trump released his oft-delayed plan to end the Israel-Palestine dispute in the White House where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was present.

In his address which was snubbed by Palestine officials, Trump referred to Jerusalem as "Israel's undivided capital."

"Today, Israel has taken a giant step towards peace," Trump said as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood by his side.

"My vision presents a win-win solution for both sides," he said, noting that Israeli leaders have said they will endorse the proposal.

Netanyahu meanwhile said it was a "historic day" and thanked Trump for his proposal. He said if Palestinians agree to the plan, Israel will be willing to negotiate "right away".

But he also, he said, under the plan, "eastern Jerusalem" would serve as a capital of a State of Palestine.

The American president did not immediately reveal what he meant by "eastern Jerusalem" while it's clear that he wants Israeli to own the holy city.

Deal rejected by Palestinians

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the plans as a "conspiracy". He accused the US of meddling in the delicate matter.

"I say to Trump and Netanyahu: Jerusalem is not for sale, all our rights are not for sale and are not for bargain," he said.

"And your deal, the conspiracy, will not pass," he said in a televised address from Ramallah in the West Bank.

Sami Abu Zhuri, a Hamas official, said Trump's statement was "aggressive and will spark a lot of anger".

Israeli politicians support the deal

Netanyahu's election rival, Benny Gantz, who was also in Washington, DC, this week said he, too, supported the proposal.

"The president's peace plan is a significant and historic milestone indeed," Gantz told reporters on Monday.

Trump also insisted that Israeli remains a sovereign nation despite Palestine gaining "statehood". He added that "nobody will be displaced".

His sentiments means that Jews in settlement areas which are disputed will not be evicted to pave way for the Palestinians.

For decades, the conflict has literally grounded peace efforts in the Middle East, often attracting international condemnation.

GAROWE ONLINE