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Skeptical Pompeo: Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ could be ‘Unexecutable’

Skeptical Pompeo: Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ could be ‘Unexecutable’
folder_open«Deal of the Century» access_time4 years ago
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By Staff, Agencies

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gave a somber assessment of the chances of the not-yet released his President Donald Trump’s deal of the century, acknowledging that parts of it might be “unexecutable,” could fail, or will be dismissed out of hand by either the "Israelis" or the Palestinians.

In remarks made last Tuesday in a closed-door conversation with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations that was leaked to the Washington Post, Pompeo said he could understand why many see the deal as one “only the “Israelis” could love” and said the US was also planning for failure.

The scheme has repeatedly been postponed and Pompeo’s remarks were made a day before the collapse of “Israeli” coalition negotiations and a move to fresh elections in September, something that is widely expected to set back the launch of it even further.

Even then Pompeo noted, “This has taken us longer to roll out our plan than I had originally thought it might — to put it lightly.”

After the publication of the remarks on Sunday, US President Donald Trump was asked about Pompeo’s skepticism, telling reporters outside the White House: “He may be right.”

“When Mike says that, I understand when he says that, because most people think it can’t be done. I think it probably can. But, as I say often, we’ll see what happens,” Trump said, adding that he was unhappy with the situation in "Israel," which he called “messed up.”

“Bibi got elected. Now, all of a sudden, they’re going to have to go through the process again until September? That’s ridiculous. So we’re not happy about that,” he said, urging “Israel” to “get their act together.”

Pompeo, who said he believes he has seen “all the details of what we are going to role out,” said the plan was “very detailed.” However, he conceded that parts of it are, “one might argue, unexecutable.”

He said that the US plans to start with the economic aspects, before moving on to the “security and political” parts.

Pompeo’s comments came as the two main architects of the plan, Trump’s senior adviser Jared Kushner and Mideast envoy Jason Greenblatt, toured the Mideast to lay the groundwork for the economic section that are to be unveiled at a conference in Bahrain later this month.

Pompeo’s remarks were the most candid yet from the Trump administration on the challenges facing the “deal of the century,” and he expressed hope that the parties would even consider it.

“Three things are certain, everyone will find something to hate about the proposal,” he said. “Everyone will find something, I think, including the Palestinians, will find something they say ‘that’s something to build upon.’ And the big question is can we get enough space that we can have a real conversation about how to build this out.”

“We’re under no illusions we’re going to show up with this thing and everyone’s going to say, ‘Tell me where to go for the signing ceremony,’” he said. “It doesn’t work that way.”

“I hope everyone will look at it and say that there is at least a nugget of hope in there for me,” he said.

Pompeo also said the US was preparing for how to react if the deal fails, including in a scenario where “Israel” occupies new parts of the West Bank.

“It may be rejected. Could be in the end, folks will say, ‘It’s not particularly original, it doesn’t particularly work for me,’ that is, ‘It’s got two good things and nine bad things, I’m out,'” Pompeo said, adding that the State Department has given “quite a bit of consideration” to what it would do if the plan “doesn’t gain traction.”

“I don’t want to call it failing,” he said. “Call it whatever. I fail a lot, so it’s not about not using a word like that.”

He said there had been “a great deal of thought on how to react and what would be the appropriate response,” to an “Israeli” annexation, but added that there was currently “no consensus.”

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