WASHINGTON/AMMAN: Donald Trump鈥檚 long-awaited Middle East peace plan 鈥渕akes a lot of sense for everybody,鈥� the US president said on the eve of its historic unveiling today in Washington.

Trump conceded that his plan was unlikely to be welcomed by the Palestinians, but he believed they would come round.

鈥淭hey probably won鈥檛 want it initially,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I think in the end they will ... it鈥檚 very good for them. In fact it鈥檚 overly good to them. So we'll see what happens. Without them, we don鈥檛 do the deal and that鈥檚 OK.鈥�
鈥淏ut we think there鈥檚 a very good chance that they鈥檙e going to want this."

An agreement between Israel and the Palestinians was crucial to achieve overall peace in the Middle East, Trump said.

鈥淭hey say it鈥檚 probably the most difficult deal anywhere and of any kind to make,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I was back in the business world, when a deal was tough, people would jokingly refer to it as 鈥榯ougher than Israel and the Palestinians getting together.鈥� This is what I heard all my life. We have something that makes a lot of sense for everybody.鈥�

Trump spoke after talks in the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and before a meeting with Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz. The two men face off in a parliamentary election in March, and Netanyahu is also seeking immunity from prosecution for bribery, fraud and breach of trust.

The Palestinians say Trump鈥檚 plan will favor Israel, and undermine their right to statehood.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Palestine Liberation Organization reserved the right to withdraw from the Oslo Accords if Trump went ahead with his plan, which would 鈥渢urn Israel鈥檚 temporary occupation into a permanent occupation.鈥�

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said the plan 鈥渄oesn't constitute a basis for resolving the conflict,鈥� violates international law and 鈥渃omes from a party that has lost its credibility to be an honest broker.鈥�

Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the PLO executive committee, told Arab News that Trump鈥檚 optimism was 鈥渄elusional,鈥� and 鈥渟hows a warped understanding of reality.鈥�

She said the plan was 鈥渃learly as good for the Palestinians as the theft of Jerusalem, the assault on refugee rights and the defunding of Palestinian infrastructure.鈥�