The "Geneva Understandings" - a draft memorandum
for a permanent Israeli-Palestinian peace
agreement formulated by members of the Israeli
opposition and Palestinian officials:
* The Palestinians will concede the right of
return. Some refugees will remain in the
countries where they now live, others will be
absorbed by the PA, some will be absorbed by
other countries and some will receive financial
compensation. A limited number will be allowed
to settle in Israel, but this will not be
defined as realization of the right of return.
* The Palestinians will recognize Israel as the
state of the Jewish people.
* Israel will withdraw to the 1967 borders,
except for certain territorial exchanges, as
described below.
* Jerusalem will be divided, with Arab
neighborhoods of East Jerusalem becoming part
of the Palestinian state. Jewish neighborhoods
of East Jerusalem, as well as the West Bank
suburbs of Givat Ze'ev, Ma'aleh Adumim and the
historic part of Gush Etzion - but not Efrat -
will be part of Israel.
* The Temple Mount will be Palestinian, but an
international force will ensure freedom of
access for visitors of all faiths. However,
Jewish prayer will not be permitted on the
mount, nor will archaeological digs. The
Western Wall will remain under Jewish
sovereignty and the "Holy Basin" will be under
international supervision.
* The settlements of Ariel, Efrat and Har Homa
will be part of the Palestinian state. In
addition, Israel will transfer parts of the
Negev adjacent to Gaza, but not including
Halutza, to the Palestinians in exchange for
the parts of the West Bank it will receive.
* The Palestinians will pledge to prevent terror
and incitement and disarm all militias. Their
state will be demilitarized, and border
crossings will be supervised by an
international, but not Israeli, force.
* The agreement will replace all UN resolutions
and previous agreements.
haaretzdaily.com
My comment:
1. Overall, a much better basis for peace than the Road Map. It doesn't insist on disarmament of Palestinian groups as a first step.
2. the borders are logical, approximating the existing demographic frontier.
4. It needs to define exactly how many Palestinians get to settle inside Israel.
5. It needs to define exactly how the disarming of the new Palestinian State, and the ending of terror and incitement, will happen. Who will enforce and moniter it? What happens if these terms are violated? "Pledging" isn't good enough. They have to do it, with consequences if they don't.
6. This plan requires both the Palestinians and Israelis to do things they have, so far, proved unwilling to do: give up the right of return, and dismantle settlements. |
