Iran’s Supreme Leader Calls Trump Middle East Peace Plan ‘Satanic’

In this picture released by the office of the Iranian supreme leader on Wednesday, March 2
Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP
Deborah Brand

TEL AVIV – Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday called President Donald Trump’s unveiled peace plan “satanic” and said the Muslim world would work to prevent its realization.

“To the dismay of U.S. politicians, the satanic, evil U.S. policy about Palestine — the so-called Deal Of The Century— will never bear fruit, by the grace of God,” Khamenei wrote on his official Twitter account.
“About the Jewishization of al-Quds and saying it should be in the hands of the Jews, they’re talking foolishly and unwisely,” he said in reference to Jerusalem.

“The issue of Palestine will never be forgotten,” Khamenei continued. “The Palestinian nation and all Muslim nations will definitely stand up to them and not allow the so-called Deal Of The Century to be realized.”

Trump’s plan would see the establishment of a contiguous but demilitarized Palestinian state on most of the West Bank with parts of eastern Jerusalem that are outside the Israeli security fence as its capital.

Jerusalem would remain undivided and under Israeli control.

The flashpoint holy site of the Temple Mount would remain under the current status quo overseen by Jordan’s Islamic Waqf but all prayer – including Jewish prayer – would be allowed. The Temple Mount is Judaism’s holiest site but currently Jews are barred from praying there.

The Palestinians have denounced the plan.

“This conspiracy deal will not pass. Our people will take it to the dustbin of history,” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Arab states including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and the UAE welcomed the proposal, hailing it as a “just” solution for the Palestinian people.

Saudi Arabia thanked the Trump administration for arriving at a “just and comprehensive resolution” for the Palestinians.

 “The Kingdom reiterates its support for all efforts aimed at reaching a just and comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian cause,” the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The kingdom appreciates the efforts of President Trump’s administration to develop a comprehensive peace plan between the Palestinian and the Israeli sides, and encourages the start of direct peace negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, under the auspices of the United States,” the statement continued.
Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Bin Salman assured Abbas his kingdom, along with all Arabs, are with the Palestinian people, according to a report by Israel’s Channel 13.
“Our position towards the Palestinian issue has not changed,” he said.

“The establishment of a just and comprehensive peace must be worked towards. Peace is a strategic choice, and one that will bring about a permanent solution that will realize the rights of the Palestinian people,” he told Abbas.

Egypt said it similarly expressed its appreciation for the U.S plan, and called on the Palestinians to seriously consider the initiative in order to restore “their full legitimate rights through the establishment of a sovereign independent state.”

 “The Arab Republic of Egypt appreciates the continuous efforts exerted by the US administration to achieve a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue, thereby contributing to the stability and security of the Middle East, ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,” the country’s foreign ministry said Tuesday.

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