Riyad Al-Maliki
Riyad Al-MalikiIssam Rimawi/Flash 90

Some European Union countries are negotiating with the United States to persuade it to amend its peace plan, the Palestinian Authority (PA) official in charge of foreign affairs said on Wednesday, according to the PA-based Wafa news agency.

The official, Riyad al-Malki, was quoted as having told Voice of Palestine radio that it was agreed with the EU countries to proceed with these efforts before the U.S. administration announces its “deal of the century” in order to avoid rejecting it.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat published what it said were the details of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan, though it cited unnamed French officials as its sources.

Those officials told the newspaper that the American president will present a diplomatic plan including recognition of a Palestinian state not based on the pre-1967 lines, while the Jordan Valley will remain in Israeli hands, the Palestinian Arab demand for a "right of return" will not be implemented and the "Palestinian refugees" will be compensated and remain where they are.

The alleged plan also states that the large Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria will remain in place but some of the smaller communities would be evacuated. The Palestinian state would be demilitarized and have limited sovereignty.

It includes the transfer of other security and administrative responsibilities to the Arab authorities in Areas A and B. The capital of the Palestinian state would be in eastern Jerusalem.

In his comments on Wednesday, Malki said that the Palestinian peace initiative recently put forward by PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas at the Security Council has been distributed to all countries.

Abbas, in his speech before the Security Council last week, presented an initiative which includes three main points: rejection of the American bias and alleged Israeli “violations”, implementation of the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant United Nations resolutions, and recognizing the State of Palestine in order to return to the negotiating table.

Abbas has sought an alternative to direct talks with Israel and has refused to consider the Trump administration an honest broker for negotiations since President Trump’s December declaration recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.