PA: Rejecting Trump's plan is a religious obligation; You "betray Allah" if you cooperate with the "deal of the century"

The Grand Mufti of the Palestinian Authority Muhammad Hussein has ruled that Palestinians are forbidden to cooperate in any way with US President Trump’s peace plan, the so-called “deal of the century.” Anyone cooperating with the plan is “betraying Allah,” and those who support it “deserve to be cursed by Allah, his angels, and all people":

"[PA] Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories Muhammad Hussein published a religious ruling that forbids cooperating with the 'deal of the century' and those promoting it, as its goal in general is to eliminate the Palestinian cause forever. The mufti said in a statement yesterday [Feb. 11, 2020] thatanyone who cooperates with the deal is betraying Allah, His Messenger [Muhammad], the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem, and Palestine… those who are planning this unjust aggressiveness, or willingly supporting or being silent about it, deserve to be cursed by Allah, his angels, and all people."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 12, 2020]

The ruling echoes the statement of Mahmoud Al-Habbash, the PA’s Supreme Shari’ah Judge and Chairman of the Supreme Council for Shari'ah Justice who before the revelation of Trump’s deal threatened that whoever accepts the plan “will pay the price of treason,” as Palestinian Media Watchdocumented. 

Abbas’ Fatah addressed Trump directly in a video, threatening that they will “declare a war that only Allah can extinguish” if Trump continues with his peace plan. Fatah has also encouraged violence, telling Palestinians todefend “Palestine” with “blood and soul”to make sure the deal “does not pass.”

The following is a longer excerpt of the report on the mufti’s fatwa:

Headline: "The [PA] grand mufti forbids cooperating with the deal of the century and those who are promoting it"

"[PA] Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories Muhammad Hussein published a religious ruling that forbids cooperating with the 'deal of the century' (i.e., US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan; see note below) and those promoting it, as its goal in general is to eliminate the Palestinian cause forever.

The mufti said in a statement yesterday [Feb. 11, 2020] thatanyone who cooperates with the deal is betraying Allah, His Messenger [Muhammad], the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem, and Palestine.He added that 'the deal of the century' steals Jerusalem from its legal owners, denies the Muslims their third [holiest] mosque, their first direction of prayer, and the place to which their Prophet, peace be upon him, travelled, and also does away with the refugees' right and delegitimizes the demand of a people that was forcefully uprooted from its land to receive its legitimate rights.

He noted that the deal is meant to cancel the right of our people to live on its land in dignity, strengthens the thieving oppressor, supports it, and aggressively and unfairly grants it most of the Palestinian land that is scented with the Martyrs' pure blood… which confirms that those who are planning this unjust aggressiveness, or willingly supporting or being silent about it, deserve to be cursed by Allah, his angels, and all people."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 12, 2020]

Muhammad Hussein also holds the positions of preacher at the Al-Aqsa Mosque Palestinian Supreme Fatwa Council Chairman, and Deputy Secretary-General and acting Secretary-General of the PLO Popular National Conference of Jerusalem.

The Trump peace plan – US President Donald Trump announced his Israel–Palestinian peace plan "Peace to Prosperity" – commonly known as “the deal of the century” - on Jan. 28, 2020.

Main points of the plan:

1. Israeli sovereignty would be applied to the Jordan Valley and all Israeli towns and cities in the West Bank.
2. Jerusalem, including all its holy sites, would remain under Israeli sovereignty with accommodations made to enable access for Palestinians.
3. The remainder of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and part of what is currently Israeli land in the Negev, the Galilee, and Jerusalem - creating a territory almost equal in size to the West Bank and Gaza Strip - would form the Palestinian state, with its capital in neighborhoods in East Jerusalem that are outside of Israel's security wall.
4. The Palestinian state would be demilitarized, with Israel responsible for external security and controlling all airspace.
5. All Palestinian prisoners except murderers, and those who attempted or conspired to murder would be released.
6. Palestinians in refugee camps would be absorbed into their host countries and, subject to certain limitations, into the Palestinian state.
7. Before becoming a state, the Palestinians would have to carry out extensive reform of their laws and institutions, including implementing a new governing system; granting its people due process and basic human rights and freedoms; end all incitement to and incentivizing of terror; end all glorification of terror and martyrdom; disarm Hamas; and adopt a culture promoting peace.

The goal of the plan is to create a Palestinian state beside Israel, living in peace and security.
The implementation would be facilitated through extensive international investment.