Israeli left-wing party drafts new Mideast peace plan to replace Oslo Accords

[shaarona]

Israeli left-wing party drafts new Mideast peace plan to replace Oslo Accords

Under Meretz's plan, Israel would help Palestine be accepted as a UN member, and be the first country to recognize the new state.

By Akiva Eldar | Sep.25, 2012

Meretz chief Zahava Gal-On is promoting a peace plan that would replace the Oslo Accords with a new timetable to end the conflict. Under the plan, Israel would help Palestine be accepted as the 194th member of the United Nations and be the first country to recognize the new state.

"Without determining who is to blame for what, the Oslo process must be replaced by a new paradigm," Gal-On told Haaretz. "A Palestinian state is an Israeli interest, so Israel must be the first to recognize it and support its acceptance by the UN."

Gal-On hopes to have the plan approved by Meretz before the next elections.

Under the plan, Israel would declare without preconditions that the conflict must be solved by ending the occupation based on the 1967 borders, with 1:1 land swaps. Meanwhile, Jerusalem would be divided based on the proposals by former U.S. President Bill Clinton - Jewish neighborhoods to Israel, Palestinian neighborhoods to Palestine, and special status for the Holy Basin.

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http://www.haaretz.com/news/national...emium-1.466664

A must read. This plan is ambitious, comprehensive and brilliant.

[shaarona]

Excerpt:

In an interview with the Israel Hayom daily, Defence Minister Ehud Barak implied that the deadlock with the Palestinians cannot be sustained indefinitely.

"It's better to reach an agreement with the Palestinians, but if that doesn't happen, we must take practical steps to start a separation," he said. "It will help us not only in dealing with the Palestinians, but also with other countries in the region, with the Europeans, and with the American administration — and of course (will help) us."

Barak's proposal is unlikely to be implemented, at least in the short term. Netanyahu has shown no interest in one-sided concessions, and his governing coalition is dominated by hard-liners who would be reluctant to embrace the plan. Netanyahu's office declined comment.

The 12 million people who live in Israel and the Palestinian territories are divided roughly equally between Jews and Arabs. Most experts believe the Arab birthrate is higher, and that if Israel does not give up control of the West Bank, Jews will no longer be a majority in areas under Israeli control. That would threaten Israel's twin goals of being a democracy and a Jewish state.

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