Israeli-Palestinian Peace plans and final status proposals
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Israeli-Palestinian and
Arab-Israeli Peace Plans
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IN A NUTSHELL: Israeli Palestinian Conflict
Historical Background
Numerous final status and peace
plans have been advanced to settle the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They are all based on variants of a few ideas that
have a venerable history. On the face of it, the plans must address the following issues:
Sovereignty
- Each people wants the right to self determination, but some plans deny self determination to one
people or the other.
Borders
- If there are two states, the land must be apportioned between them and some people will probably need
to move. Palestinians demand that all Israeli settlers would leave any separate Palestinian state.
Immigration
- Israel has a law of return that allows Jews from all over the world to immigrate to Israel and be
granted citizenship automatically. Israel actively seeks Jewish immigration. Palestinian refugees who fled Israeli in
1948 and 1967 want the right to return to their homes in Israel (Right of Return), and Palestinians historically have
tried to limit Jewish immigration to Israel and abolish the Law of Return. Many
Palestinian refugee families
have kept keys to their homes in what is now Israel, even though the homes themselves no longer exist. Return of
Palestinian refugees and their descendants, including all those who claim the status of Palestinian refugees, would
establish an Arab majority in Israel and would therefore mean the end of Israel as a Jewish state.
Resources
- If the states are divided, scarce common resources must be apportioned between them.
Why Israeli Palestinian Peace Plans failed
No plan has those far succeeded in ending the Arab-Israeli or Israeli-Palestinian
conflicts. There are two intractable difficulties in the way of any such plans for Israel. If these difficulties
can ever be overcome, then almost any reasonable allocation of resources and people could be made to work. But the it is
likely that the real problems have never been addressed by any plan. The real problems produce excuses and alibis as to
why the sides cannot make peace, and the plans to date have all addressed only those excuses. The first problem is in
the hearts of men. It is the tragic conviction of too many people on both sides that all of the land belongs only to
them and to no-one else, and that the continued presence of the other side on the land is illegitimate and a historic
injustice. The second problem is that outside forces, especially in the Arab and Muslim world, have taken care to stir
up and maintain this conviction and to arm those who will fight for it. As long as terrorist groups and the regimes that
encourage them exist, they will try to sabotage any hope of peace, regardless of the terms. No plan can succeed until
these problems are solved. Therefore, it may be moot to discuss, for example, whether a plan like the Geneva Accord
would be better or worse than the Ayalon Nusseibeh agreement or a different agreement, in the hypothetical case that
either one could really be implemented.
There are several levels of "requirements" of parties to a conflict that might be conditions
for resolution of that conflict. Basic requirements are those that are needed for human survival and well being: land,
water, security, access to the sea if possible, a place to call your own. National requirements are those that are
needed in order to to survive and prosper as a nation among nation states: Freedom to pursue legitimate national goals,
self determination and cultural development are among them. Restitutional requirements may be legitimate as well, even
if they are not needed for survival: a wronged country may want land returned, or payment for wars started by the other
side or other reparations. However, some other "requirements" are often confrontational issues, that have been developed
as issues in order to perpetuate a conflict. For example, certain theological disputes were used to prevent the healing
of the schism between the Roman and Eastern Orthodox Catholic churches, though the substantive conflict was not really
about the "filioque" in the creed (the assertion that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son as well as the Father) or
the use of unleavened bread in the mass.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict includes several such confrontational issues, that were
never perceived as issues by either side until they were deliberately inflated and brought to national significance.
There is no way way to resolve those issues by logical formulae, because the purpose of the issue is to prevent
resolution of the conflict. Essentially, the real content of each such issue is "we will make peace only when the other
side admits surrender" and the issues are advanced because it is believed that the other side will never accept it and
can never accept it. Therefore, the issue can be used to show that the other side does not want peace.
Historic Middle East and
Israeli-Palestinian Peace Plans
One Jewish State
-
The early Zionists envisioned a
single Jewish state
that would encompass all of the land from beyond the Jordan
river to the sea, as well as Gaza and parts of what is now Lebanon. The single Jewish state plan was abandoned by most
Zionists when it became apparent that the Jews could not be a decisive majority in all of Palestine. Today, settlers and
right wing Zionists propose various single state solutions that all seek to maintain a Jewish majority in the land,
either by expelling Palestinians or by denying or abridging their political rights.
One Arab State
-
Arab states and Palestinian leaders called for a single Palestinian Arab state in Palestine
. This "plan" has
been put forward from time to time with different variants. All of them would put an end to Zionism and would not allow
free Jewish immigration to Israel. After WW II The Palestinian leader Haj Amin el Husseini, told the British that the
Jewish problem in Palestine should be solved in the same was as it had been "solved" by Hitler in Europe (by murdering
the Jews). In 1967, on the eve of the 6-day war, Ahmed Shokhairy, then head of the PLO, spoke at UN, giving the
Palestinian one-state solution. He explained that "if it will be our privilege to strike the first blow," the PLO would
exile from Israel all Zionists who arrived after 1917 and create a "secular democratic state. This secular democratic
state became the program of the Palestine Liberation Organization and of the Fateh which sought to "liberate" Palestine
from the Zionists by armed struggle. The Hamas and Islamic Jihad prefer an Islamic state, in which Jews and other
religious minorities can remain as
dhimmis
(second class citizens).
Binational State
- This idea was advanced by Dr. Yehuda Magnes, President of the Hebrew University and the Jewish philosopher Martin
Buber. This state would have Jewish and Arab cantons, similar to the Swiss German and French Cantons. The idea was
presented to the
Anglo-American commission
in 1946, was favored by the Mapam party and by
the USSR. However, the idea lost support after the Arab states and Palestinian leadership totally rejected it. The
binational state has a few modern proponents, including Meron Benvenisti, Noam Chomsky and Edward Said.
Two State
Partition Solution
- The British first partitioned Palestine
in 1922, cutting off Transjordan from the Palestine mandate of the League of nations, along with the
announcement by Winston
Churchill that the Mandate called for a Jewish home in Palestine
, but not
necessarily in all of Palestine. The
Peel and Woodhead commissions of 1937 and 1938
recommended a
further partition, into a tiny Jewish state and much larger Arab state. The Arabs rejected this solution and the
British abandoned it. The UN called for the establishment of two states in
UN General Assembly Resolution 181
,
which became the basis for the establishment of Israel. The Arab countries opposed Resolution 181, and were also not
enthusiastic about creating a Palestinian state, preferring to divide the territory of Palestine between them.
Alon Plan
- Israeli general and
political leader Yigal Alon formulated
this plan
for partition of the West Bank with part of
the land to be returned to Jordan as a solution for the Israeli Palestinian conflict.
Autonomy
- Israel PM Menachem Begin proposed that Israel would give autonomy to Palestinians, in the f
ramework
of the Israeli - Egyptian peace treaty.
The "autonomy" would allow Palestinians in the West
Bank and Gaza to run their internal affairs, but would give them no rights at all over the land, and no representation
as a sovereign state. They could have Jordanian or Egyptian citizenship.
A plan consistent with autonomy
was submitted by the Israeli government in 1989.
Harold H. Saunders
offered a peace plan in outline in 1975
that eventually became the basis for US thinking about peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
The Barak Offer, Taba
talks and Clinton Compromise
- During 2000 and early 2001, Israelis and Palestinians negotiated unsuccessfully
regarding a final status solution. Though the overall result was a failure, there were many points of agreement. The
nature of the settlement and the proposed maps
are
detailed here
and
here.
Recent Peace Plans, Final
Status Plans and Peace Initiatives
Introduction
- Not
every plan for a settlement is a peace plan. Some of the recent proposals are expressly designed to subjugate one side
or the other and cannot be considered "peace plans." Some of the initiatives are intended to be the basis for a peace
plan or a method of arriving at a peace plan, but aren't complete solutions and don't pretend to be. See
How many states?
and
The Emperor's New Peace Plan
and "
The Two State Solution"
for some background. An explanation of most of the different proposals follows.
The Quartet Road
map -
The
Road Map
, now
endorsed by the UN
, is not a final status plan, but
a series of steps designed to calm the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, create a provisional Palestinian state and allow
for negotiations of a final status agreement. The "road map" calls for a three-phased implementation of U.S.
President George W. Bush's
June 24, 2002 speech
:
that would make possible Israel and
Palestinians "living side by side in peace and security." However, the roadmap does not specify the final borders of
Palestine and Israel or any other other details of the solution.
Arab Peace Initiative
The Saudi-initiated plan for a comprehensive peace calls for settlement of the Palestine-Israel conflict and other
outstanding disputes, followed by termination of the state of war that has existed between Israel and all Arab countries
and recognition of Israel. As part of the Palestinian settlement, the plan calls more or less explicitly for return of
the Palestinian refugees to Israel. This plan has been revived by the
Arab League summit of 2007
.
Third Party Peace
Initiatives:
Geneva Accord
- The "
Geneva
Accord
" is a a proposed final status agreement between Israelis and Palestinians s initiated by former justice minister Yossi Beilin and former Palestinian minister of information Yasser Abed Rabbo. Talks on the agreement took place over
the past year and were funded, in part, by the Swiss government. Israelis who signed the agreement included Labor MKs
Amram Mitzna, Avraham Burg, Yuli Tamir and MK Haim Oron (Meretz), former MK Nehama Ronen; General Giora Inbar,
Former Chief of Staff Amnon Lipkin-Shahak and authors Amos Oz and David Grossman.
The agreement provides in great
detail for an independent and demilitarized Palestine living alongside Israel. Borders between the states would be based
on the 1967 lines with slight modifications, giving Israel the Gush Etzion settlements, Jewish neighborhoods in East
Jerusalem, the Jewish quarter of the Old City and the settlement of Ma'aleh Edumim. An international religious authority
would control central holy sites, with the Temple Mount officially under Palestinian sovereignty and the Western Wall
and Jewish Quarter of the Old City under Israeli sovereignty. Israel would decide how many Palestinian refugees
would be admitted to Israel. Other refugees would get compensation from international funds and would be accepted either
into Palestine the countries in which they are currently residing or other countries.
According to a public opinion poll
jointly sponsored by the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in Houston and the
International Crisis Group in Washington, DC , 53.3 percent of Israelis polled said they would support such a proposal
while 43.9 percent said they would oppose it. On the Palestinian side, 55.6 percent expressed support. Other polls gave
the proposals about 30 percent support in Israel, but it is not clear that respondents understood the plan.
The complete text of
the accord is here.
Unofficial
m
aps
of the accord are here.
The Geneva accord is similar to
earlier plans put forward by Gush Shalom and Peace Now.
Ayalon-Nusseibeh Plan (Peoples' Voice)
- The Peoples' Voice initiative was launched in June by former Shin
Bet head Ami Ayalon and Sari Nusseibeh, the former PLO representative in Jerusalem. The initiative is based on a
six-point Statement of Principles, calling for a demilitarized Palestinian state; an open Jerusalem; compensation for
Palestinian refugees and explicitly relinquishing the Palestinian claim for the right of Palestinian Refugees to return
to Israel ("Right of Return"). . More information is at the
Peoples' Voice website
.
One Voice
- One Voice is a grassroots peace initiative that seeks to find common ground between the "silent majority" of Israelis
and Palestinians. One Voice has about 100,000 signatures on a petition empowering a panel of experts to propose a
solution, and will soon present a detailed set of principles, or "pillars" on which people will be able to vote
through the Web using facilities to be donated, as well as through other means. statement of principles, and is
working on a says it has managed to "achieve consensus on 20 Pillars that may form the basis for Palestinian-Israeli
conflict resolution." The "pillars," which are still confidential, "are the beginning of a process to achieve historic
grassroots consensus for conflict resolution," according to the One Voice website. More information can be found on the
One Voice Israeli-Palestinian
Peace
website
Plans of Israeli
Political Factions
Meretz
Plan
- Meretz supports the
Geneva Accord
as its plan for a solution of the conflict.
Israel Communist Party
-
Calls for evacuation of the Occupied territories to the June 4, 1967 lines, and right of return for Palestinian
refugees.
Labor Party peace platform
- The opposition Labor Party's plan is based on a return to the June 4, 1967
borders "with slight revisions due to security reasons and around blocs of Jewish settlements." Similar to the Geneva
Accord, condemned by Labor politicians, Jerusalem would be divided into Israeli and Palestinian capitals, and
partitioned according into Jewish and Arab parts based on current population. Palestinians would give up right of
return. All "illegal" outposts are to be dismantled immediately according to the Labor plan.
The Sharon and Olmert
disengagement
Plans
m
- Israeli PM Ariel Sharon and PM Ehud Olmert, originally made broad hints about a plan
or plans for unilateral steps that would be taken soon if no agreement with Palestinians is possible and there was no
progress in implementing the road map. These plans would almost certainly include evacuation of the small Israeli
settlements in Gaza including Netzarim and scattered settlements in the West Bank. These plans became the
disengagement plan
that was implemented by Ariel Sharon, and
included complete evacuation of Gaza plus four settlements in the West Bank. This plan is blamed in part for election of
the Hamas to lead the Palestinian Authority, for an endless barrage of
Qassam rockets
on the Western Negev, and the kidnapping of
Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. For these reasons, and because of continuous and uncontrolled smuggling of arms into the
Gaza Strip as well as societal chaos, the
disengagement plan
was considered a failure. Ehud Olmert planned a partial disengagement plan for the West Bank that was
never implemented, because of the failure of the Gaza plan. The plan area that would be defended
by Israel would probably correspond with the current fence.
More about the Sharon Plan.
More about the Olmert Plan
.
D
isengagement
Zionist Extremist
Plans
Yesha Council
plan
- The Yesha Council of Jewish Communities in Judea, Samaria and
the Gaza Strip and Likud Party extremists are preparing an alternative to Sharon's unilateral plan. The Yesha plan
would extend Israeli sovereignty to all of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. No independent Palestinian state
would be created west of the Jordan River. Instead, Israel and the territories would be partitioned into cantons, with
two cantons created for the Palestinians - one in the Gaza Strip and one in Judea and Samaria. Some settlers
consider that this plan is a betrayal of their cause as well.
The Elon Plan
- Tourism Minister Benny Elon (National Union) is a follower of the late Rehavam Ze'evi.. He
believes in transferring Palestinians out of Israel and declaring Israeli sovereignty over the entire West Bank. Jordan
would be recognized as the Palestinian state. Elon doesn't explain how countries would be induced to recognize Jordan as
the Palestinian state. More details can be found on the
Elon Peace Plan website
.
Moshe
Feiglin's Plan -
Feiglin is a far-right Likud Activist. His 'plan' calls for full Israeli sovereignty
over the whole of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and the expulsion of Arabs who object. Other Arabs will be
encouraged to immigrate, but those who "demonstrate their loyalty to the Jewish State's hospitality and accept the
Jewish People's sovereignty over the Jewish People's land will be granted legal residency and issued a legal resident's
identification card... [T]hey will have no political right to vote for the Knesset, or any national rights.
Palestinian Extremists
Hamas
- The
Hamas
continues to call for an Islamic Republic in all of Palestine. Jews
would be able to live in that republic as second class "dhimmi" citizens. Sheikh Yassin said recently that Jews could
have their own state in Europe.
Secular
Democratic State
- Left wing Palestinian extremist groups still favor the Secular
democratic or secular Marxist state of the PLO. Jews would be allowed to live in Palestine following return of the
Palestinian refugees, but no further Zionist immigration would be allowed. Jews would have equal rights as citizens, but
would constitute a minority in a majority Palestinian State.
Al Awda
-
The Al-Awda group was founded expressly to block a final settlement that does not allow return of Palestinian refugees
to Israel. Their plan insists that refugees will return to Israel, though not necessarily to the homes they abandoned in
1948, as these do not exist for the most part.
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