New blow of White House for Palestinians

tel aviv - After Jerusalem, the United States is still hiding a pillar under the Palestinian struggle for an independent state: the right of return. According to Israeli media, the Trump government is announcing in the short term that the descendants of the Palestinians who fled the establishment of the state of Israel can not 'return'.

That is precisely one of the most important demands of the Palestinians, who are high on the agenda at every peace meeting. They demand that not only the tens of thousands of Palestinians who were expelled or who took their belongings back then, but also all their descendants. That number is now running in the many millions. Israel will never cooperate, because that would change the character of the Jewish state forever.

The Palestinians are one of the few groups where the 'refugee' is transferable to the children and grandchildren. They are also the only ones who have a special UN organization, UNRWA. That status is Israel but also America a thorn in the eye. The United States has already frozen part of the UNRWA funding. In addition, America announced last weekend that it will not pay out 200 million planned aid for the Palestinians.

The steps come shortly after President Trump announced that the Palestinians get something back for the American recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He did not elaborate on what exactly, but said it would hurt the Israelis. But now his government comes with a new blow in the face of the Palestinians.

According to Israeli media, it would announce the beginning of next week that it does not regard five million Palestinians as refugees, such as UNRWA, but 'only' half a million. That comes very hard in Ramallah and Gaza, but also in countries like Jordan and Lebanon, where large groups of Palestinians reside. If it is up to Israel, the entire UNRWA will be shut down and any Palestinian state must receive the 'refugees' in the future.

Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law working on a peace plan, would have previously attempted to persuade Amman to deprive the refugee status of two million Palestinians. Kushner presents his peace proposals in the near future, but they have already been pre-tagged by the Palestinians. They no longer see America as a suitable mediator since the recognition of Jerusalem.