|
Today, Friday, August 10, while the
funerals of the victims of yesterday’s suicide attack in Jerusalem are
still going on, Gush Shalom has published the text of a proposed Peace
Agreement in a full-page ad in Haaretz.
In the introduction, the Gush said:
"Now, more than at any other time, the
struggle for peace must not stop. The following declaration of
principles is a proposal for joint Israeli-Palestinian discussion. It
should not be considered a take-it-or-leave-it proposition.
We went into details in order to express our conviction that all the
issues at stake – the components of the conflict – can be resolved. Not
by diktats, not by an overbearing master-and-servant attitude, but by
negotiations between equals.
The government and the army leadership are leading us into a hell of blood
and fire. We call upon all peace-seekers in Israel to unite for the
future of the two peoples of this country, Jewish Israelis and
Palestinian Arabs.
The country has given birth to us as twins.”
Peace Agreement
(Draft Proposal)
Between the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation
Organization, the Representative of the Palestinian People.
Whereas both parties wish to end the historical
conflict between them, establish peace and bring about a historical
conciliation between the two nations,
And whereas both parties wish to base the peace on the
principles of self-determination, mutual respect, justice and equality,
And whereas both parties acknowledge the principle of
"two states for two nations",
And whereas both parties accept UN resolutions 242,
338 and 194 as the basis for a solution and regard the implementation of
the agreement below as the full realization of these resolutions,
It is agreed by both parties:
Section 1: The End of the Occupation.
Within one year, the Israeli occupation, in all its
manifestations and functions, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,
including Arab East Jerusalem, will come to an end.
Section 2: The State of Palestine.
Within one year, the independent and sovereign State of
Palestine will be established on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip,
including Arab East Jerusalem, the part of the Dead Sea that borders the
Palestinian shore and the territorial waters of the Gaza Strip.
Section 3: Borders
The border between the State of Israel and the State of
Palestine will be the cease-fire lines as they existed on June 4th
1967 (hereinafter: the Green Line), unless stipulated otherwise in this
agreement.
The State of Palestine will have full sovereign control of
all its border crossings on land, sea and air.
Both parties wish that the border between them should be
open, with unrestricted passage of people and goods, within the
framework of the economic and border-passing arrangements to be agreed
upon by the parties.
Section 4: Jerusalem.
Both parties acknowledge the uniqueness of the City of
Jerusalem and declare their intention to preserve it as a single urban
unit, open to all.
The Arab neighborhoods of the city, according to the map
attached, will be an integral part of the State of Palestine and will
serve as its capital. These areas of the city will be connected to each
other and to the State of Palestine as a single, continuous, territorial
entity.
The Jewish neighborhoods of the city, according to the map
attached, will be an integral part of the State of Israel and will serve
as its capital. These areas of the city will be connected to each other
and to the State of Israel as a single, continuous, territorial entity.
The Jewish quarter of the Old City will be part of the
State of Israel and will be attached to its territory. The Muslim,
Christian and Armenian quarters of the Old City will be part of the
State of Palestine.
There will be no barriers or obstacles preventing
unrestricted passage between the two parts of the City. Both parties
will establish border checkpoints, if they so decide, at the
entrances/exits of the City.
The municipality of the Palestinian Jerusalem and the
municipality of the Israeli Jerusalem will establish a joint council,
based on the principle of equality, to manage the shared municipal
services. The council will be headed by the chairman of the council and
his/her deputy, one of whom will be Israeli and the other Palestinian.
They will rotate their positions after two years. The first assignment
will be determined by lot.
Section 5: Holy Sites.
Both parties acknowledge the uniqueness of the Holy Sites
and their importance to the believers of the three monotheistic
religions.
The area of the Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount) will be
part of the State of Palestine.
The Western Wall (the part also called "the Wailing Wall")
will be part of the State of Israel.
All archeological or other excavations in the area of the
Haram al-Sharif (the Temple Mount), the Western Wall or in their
immediate vicinity shall be undertaken by mutual consent.
Section 6: Exchange of Territory.
Exchange of territories can be effected by agreement
between both parties.
Section 7: Extra-territorial Roads.
A highway will be constructed between the West Bank and
the Gaza Strip and it will belong to the State of Palestine. The highway
will not be connected to the Israeli road network at any point and will
pass either above or below it.
Section 8: Security.
Both parties have the right to national and personal
security.
Both parties renounce the use of force and the threat of
force against each other.
Both parties undertake to combat terrorism and terrorist
initiatives organized in one state against the other, its residents and
institutions.
Both parties undertake to prevent the entry of any foreign
military force into their territories. Any contravention of this section
by either state will grant the other state the right to take any
measures required for self-defense.
The State of Palestine undertakes to refrain from arming
itself with heavy offensive weapons for 25 years. This obligation will
become void if peace treaties are signed between Israel and the Arab
states.
Both parties will come to an agreement regarding the usage
of each other's air space.
Section 9: The Settlements.
Residents of the settlements located in territory that is
to become part of the State of Palestine will be evacuated from the
territory before the end of the Israeli occupation.
The settlements will be transferred intact to the
Palestinian authorities, without any damage inflicted on buildings or
other immovable property. The property evacuated by the settlers will be
considered part of Israel's contribution to the rehabilitation of the
Palestinian refugees (as specified heretofore in section 11.)
Section 10: Water.
The water resources of the entire land between the river
Jordan and the Mediterranean belong to both parties.
A Supreme Israeli-Palestinian Committee will be appointed
and will be responsible for water resources and distribution. Water will
be allocated justly and equally, on the basis of the numerical
proportion of residents in both states.
Both parties will cooperate in projects for the
development of additional water resources, such as desalination of
seawater.
Section 11: Refugees.
Both parties agree that the human tragedy of the
Palestinians must be resolved by a moral, just, practicable and
agreed-upon solution that takes into consideration the character and
essential needs of the two states.
Israel acknowledges its central responsibility for the
creation of this tragedy during the course of the wars of 1948 and 1967.
Both parties will establish a "truth commission" of historians -
Israeli, Palestinian and international - that will examine the precise
causes that lead to the creation of the problem in all its aspects, and
will issue an objective, conclusive report within three years. This
report will be incorporated into the schoolbooks of both states.
Israel acknowledges the principle of the Right of Return
as a basic human right.
According to this right, every refugee will be accorded
the choice between compensation and permanent settlement in another
country, return to the State of Palestine or return to Israeli
territory, according to the following principles:
(1) In order to heal the historical wound and as an act of
justice, Israel will allow the return into its territory of a certain
number of refugees, which will be decided by agreement. The returnees
will be allowed back under a reasonable annual quota within a time limit
not exceeding 10 years.
(2) A generous level of compensation will be determined
for each refugee for property that remained in Israel, loss of
opportunities, etc. The compensation will be paid by an international
fund. Israel will contribute an appropriate portion to this fund, taking
into account the value of Palestinian property that remained in Israel.
(3) Israel will use its influence with the international
fund so that the Palestinian state will be enabled to absorb refugees
who chose to return to it, as well as refugees currently residing in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip, by providing suitable housing and
employment opportunities.
Section 12: Implementation of UN
Resolutions.
Upon full implementation of sections 1 to 9, both parties
will present a formal joint statement to the UN Security Council,
declaring that both parties consider resolutions 242 and 338 fully
realized. Upon full implementation of section 11, both parties will
present a declaration to the UN that resolution 194 has been realized
Section 13: Differences of Opinion.
An agreed-upon international committee will monitor the
implementation of this agreement and act as arbitrator in the case of
differences of opinion.
Section 14: End of the Conflict.
Full implementation of this agreement will constitute the
end of the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
To discus this proposal:
hagalil.com/forum, letters of support, remarks and contributions
to pay for this advertisement to: Gush Shalom, P.O.Box 3322, Tel-Aviv
61033, Israel, Phone 972-(0)3-5221732,
info@gush-shalom.org
further details
www.gush-shalom.org
haGalil onLine 12-08-2001 |
