Is the ‘Deal of the Century’ dead?

Some analysts are more inclined to believe that the so-called “Deal of the Century” is now nil and void. The resignation of President Donald Trump's special envoy for the Middle East Jason Greenblatt and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s statement on Friday that the curtain on the political deal will be raised in few weeks attest to the ambiguity of the deal and its fate.

The resignation of Greenblatt and Pompeo’s statement took place after the declaration by Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser, that the deal would be announced before the Israeli elections, slated for September 17.

The economics of the deal were revealed in Manama Economic Workshop on June 25-26. These two days would go down in the history of Middle East peace making in infamy. Not only the content failed to deliver any tangibles, but it was shamelessly cut and paste of projects many of which had been considered defunct and unacceptable.

The political dimension, regardless of its claimed empathy with the Palestinian rights and aspirations, offers them nothing more than what the Israeli governments and West Bank colonists are giving, namely zilch. So, why would the Palestinians give this deal a legitimacy facade by agreeing to negotiate on its basis?

So, the deal and its brokers have no choice but to kill this wounded creature; a mercy bullet.

In a few days, we will know who is more likely to form a government in Israel. The choice is limited between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz. Most probably anyone of the two would end with a right-wing government. In other words, the future of the Palestinian Authority (PA) could be jeopardised.

Yet, I doubt that the Palestinian Authority would surrender easily. It will try to move on to the European, Russian, Chinese and even American fronts to stay afloat and prove to be useful. Jordan will help in that. Otherwise, the de facto dissolution of the PA would amass added economic and demographic pressures on Jordan.

The next few weeks are loaded with revelations. Yet, the future of the Middle East would remain dismally vague.