2024-10-08 03:30:07
on October 7, 2023 a terrible new chapter in the history of violent encounters between the Palestinians and Israelis happened and so it was the starting point for the most destructive war in the history of these two peoples. Now, almost a year after that terrible day, thousands of people have been killed on both sides. The Gaza Strip has been destroyed, most of its inhabitants have become refugees again, about two million people are now homeless. Thousands of Israelis were also left homeless, forced to leave their damaged and burned homes.
We did not know each other before when we both held official positions in the service of our community. Our professional paths did not cross and therefore we did not work together until now. The mutual search brought us together to find a partner on the other side of the conflict to work together, with mutual respect, to find a way to end the war in Gaza and start negotiations between Israel and Palestinian Authority together. ambition to reach an agreement that will definitively end the violent conflict between the two communities. We know that this will lead to the creation of moderate states in the region, including Saudi Arabia, and additional Muslim countries along with the State of Israel and the State of Palestine, making our entire region more stable, safer and more successful. to all his people.
In our societies, in Israel and Palestine, there is a great tendency to destroy through the most extreme form of ridicule and criticism any politician who steps outside the comfortable realm of acceptable politics. During wartime, the most politically acceptable thing is to gather the flag, and any betrayal of full support for the war effort is perceived and compared. Radical change is of course seen as capitulation or conceding victory to the other side. But the true test of leadership is not following public opinion, leading your words at polls, but identifying the best strategic path for your nation’s future and presenting it boldly and fearlessly. We, two former leaders who have faithfully served our people for many years, have come together and presented a common vision and a proposal that challenges our tragic reality and has the potential for our nation, our region and indeed , to change the world.
Let’s start with the basics. The war in Gaza must end. Israeli hostages held by Hamas must be returned to their families. Israel should release the agreed number of Palestinian prisoners. Israel must withdraw from Gaza and the Palestinians will create a new, responsible and legitimate entity in Gaza that will not consist of politicians from any of the Palestinian organizations and will be organically linked to the Palestinian Authority but also independent enough to accept to win Palestine. the people of Palestine, the neighboring Arab states, as well as the international community. The next part of our plan outlines the components that would enable a long-term, sustainable Israeli-Palestinian peace. It must be based on the states of Israel and Palestine existing side by side on the basis of the borders of June 4, 1967. We agreed that 4.4% of the West Bank, where the main settlement complexes of Israel are located, including the Jerusalem area, to be annexed to Israel in exchange for the same amount of land from Israel to be annexed to the State of Palestine to make a deal made on the territory that is very difficult to reverse. Jerusalem is the heart of the conflict for which we propose a plan that will remove the Old City of Jerusalem, a center of worship, from the exclusive sovereign control of Israel and Palestine. We address all the key issues, but this is not a complete plan with all the details. We agreed on the contours on which true Israeli-Palestinian peace should be established. In the not too distant future, a new generation of Israeli and Palestinian leaders will undertake the task of negotiating and making this vision a reality.
As part of our commitmentwe are now investing our time and effort in getting support for our proposal from the people of Israel and Palestine, from opinion leaders and political leaders in the region and beyond. We present the inescapable truth that this conflict must be resolved diplomatically to pave the way for another tomorrow. We are working very hard to explain our plans and to get public support as widely as possible. Our intention is that this is not just a document, but a living vision of a different future for Israel, Palestine and the world. In times of such frightening darkness, we have chosen to shine a light of hope and focus on the path that both communities must follow.
The proposal is as follows to which we put our names:
The former Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Ehud Olmertand former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Nasser al-Kinduaagreed to work together to promote the achievement of peace between the Palestinian people and Israel as well as peace in the Middle East in general through an agreement providing for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel based on the 1967 borders, where the to his people in peace and security on the basis of mutual recognition. Both men agreed to the territorial solution presented by Mr. Olmert during his tenure as prime minister, the proposed solution includes the annexation of 4.4% of the total territory of the West Bank by Israel in areas to be agreed, putting the issue in included. security as well as practical considerations in exchange for an equal area of land from within the State of Israel. The exchange will include a corridor connecting the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as part of the swap for 4.4% of land from the State of Israel to be annexed to the State of Palestine.
The two leaders, in agreement and in line with the plan presented by the President of the United States Biden and with Resolution 2735 (2024) of the UN Security Council, recognized the need for a quick end to the war in the Gaza Strip , which has to do with achieving a ceasefire. agreement; the release of all Israeli hostages in Gaza together with the complete withdrawal of an agreed number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons to Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the establishment of a Palestinian entity to administer and rebuild the area; A Board of Commissioners that will be made up of professional technicians and not political people. This Council should have an organic link with the Palestinian Authority and, together with the Cabinet, should prepare the West Bank and Gaza Strip for general elections within 24 to 36 months. They agreed that a Temporary Arab Security Presence (TASP) force needs to be deployed in conjunction with the withdrawal of Israeli forces to stabilize the situation in conjunction with the Palestinian Security Force to be established by the Board of Commissioners. The Interim Arab Security Presence will assume the mandate to prevent attacks on Israel from Gaza. The two leaders expressed their hope that all this would be acceptable to the Arab parties concerned. Finally, they agreed that a Conference of Donors was needed to rebuild the Gaza Strip with the serious participation of rich countries.
Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel, shall include all parts of Jerusalem that belonged to Israel before June 5, 1967 plus all Jewish neighborhoods built after June 1967 in Jerusalem. Jewish neighborhoods built after June 1967 will be included in the 4.4% annexation to Israel. All Arab areas that were not part of the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem before 1967 will be part of Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine. The Old City of Jerusalem will be administered by a five-state commission that will include Israel and Palestine. The Commission will have authority over all areas of the Old City in accordance with the rules laid down by the UN Security Council. In this context, the two leaders recognize the special historical role of the King of Jordan. There would be no restrictions on worship or movement in the Holy Basin (the Old City of Jerusalem and the surrounding area). Jews, Muslims and Christians will have equal access to their holy places of worship. And no state will have exclusive political sovereignty over the Sacred Basin.
The state of Palestine will be a demilitarized state except for the need for an internal police force.
The two leaders call interested parties on both sides, with the assistance of the countries concerned, to negotiate additional important aspects of a final agreement, such as the status of the settlements and the settlers, the issue of appeals as well as additional security measures, including parking which could be there. international force against along the Jordan River. The official representatives of the parties should address these issues in order to reach a comprehensive agreement.
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