Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn
Boris Johnson and Jeremy CorbynReuters

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday praised US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan, and urged Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn not to be negative about it, The Guardian reports.

His comments came after Corbyn, the outgoing Labour leader, called on Johnson to stand up to the US and tell Trump “frankly and candidly that on this you are wrong.”

“It will annex Palestinian territory, lock in illegal Israeli colonization, transfer Palestinian citizens of Israel and deny Palestinian people their fundamental rights,” claimed Corbyn.

“When the government meets with the US Secretary of State later today, will he make it clear that the British government will stand for a genuine, internationally backed peace plan rather than this stuff proposed by Trump yesterday?” continued Corbyn.

Johnson rejected the assessment and replied, “No peace plan is perfect, but this has the merit of a two-state solution. It would ensure Jerusalem is both the capital of Israel and the Palestinian people.”

“I would urge him rather than being so characteristically negative to reach out to his friend, my friend, our friends in the Palestinian Authority, to Mahmoud Abbas – for whom I have the highest respect – and urge him for once to engage, to get talking rather than to leave a political vacuum,” continued Johnson.

Corbyn hit back that Trump’s plan “will not bring any move towards peace, has no support from any Palestinian anywhere in the world.”

Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, commented on the Trump peace plan on Tuesday, saying, “This is clearly a serious proposal, reflecting extensive time and effort.”

"A peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians that leads to peaceful coexistence could unlock the potential of the entire region, and provide both sides with the opportunity for a brighter future,” he added.

"Only the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian territories can determine whether these proposals can meet the needs and aspirations of the people they represent,” said Raab.

Corbyn announced he would step down as leader of the British Labour party after the party recorded its worst performance, in terms of seats, since 1935 in the December 12 election, as a string of constituencies in its traditional Northern strongholds fell to the Conservatives.

The outgoing Labour leader is notorious for his anti-Semitic and anti-Israel actions and statements, having called Hamas and Hezbollah his "friends" and outright refusing to condemn those two terrorist organizations.

Other controversial incidents included the publishing of photos of the Labour leader at a cemetery in Tunisia holding a wreath near the graves of some of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) terrorists who were responsible for the massacre of the 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Days later, a picture emerged of Corbyn apparently making a salute linked to the Muslim Brotherhood organization.