Amid the near universal gloom of recent and current events, this is a tiny ray of hope. The following (reported in the Jerusalem Post on August 1) is a broad outline of what a two-state peace agreement between Israel and a new state of Palestine could look like. As with the much more detailed Geneva Accord/Initiative of the early 2000s, it models what is possible given sufficient good will and good faith:
The former Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Ehud Olmert and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority [and nephew of Yasir Arafat], Mr. Nasser AIKidwa, agreed to work together to promote the achievement of peace between the Palestinian and Israeli peoples and peace in the Middle East in general through an agreement that provides for the State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel on the basis of 1967 borders living in peace and security on the basis of mutual recognition. They agreed on the territorial solution presented by Mr. Olmert during his term in office, including the annexation of 4.4 % of the total territory of the West Bank by Israel in areas to be agreed upon taking into consideration security and practical issues in exchange for territory of equal size from within the State of Israel. The exchange will include a corridor linking the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as part of the 4.4% exchange to be annexed to the State of Palestine.
The two leaders recalling the plan presented by US President Biden and UN Security Council Resolution 2735 (2024) recognized the necessity of speedily putting an end to the war in the Gaza Strip which means achieving a cease-fire; the release of all Israeli hostages in Gaza and the agreed number of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons; a full withdrawal of Israeli forces and the creation of a Palestinian entity to administer and rebuild the Gaza Strip in the form of a Council of Commissioners composed of professional technocrats and not of political representatives. This Council should be organically linked to the PA and, together, with the Council of Ministers, should prepare both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip for general elections within 24 to 36 months.
They agreed on the need for the deployment of a Temporary Arab Security Presence (TASP) in coordination with the withdrawal of Israeli forces to stabilize the situation in cooperation with the Palestinian security force that should be established by the Council of Commissioners. The Temporary Arab Security Presence will be mandated to prevent attacks against Israel from Gaza. Both leaders expressed hope that all this will be acceptable by concerned Arab parties. Finally, they agreed on the need of a Donors Conference to rebuild the Gaza Strip with a serious participation of wealthy countries.
Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Israel, will include all of the parts of Jerusalem that were in Israel prior to June 5, 1967 in addition to the Jewish neighborhoods built after June 1967 in Jerusalem. The Jewish neighborhoods built after June 1967 will be included in the 4.4% of the Israeli annexation. All of the Arab neighborhoods that were not part of the Israeli Jerusalem municipality prior to 1967 will be part of Jerusalem, the Capital of the State of Palestine. The Old City of Jerusalem will be administered by a trusteeship of five states of which Israel and Palestine are part. The Trusteeship will have authority in all areas according to rules defined by UN Security Council. ln this regard, the two leaders recognize the special historic role of the King of Jordan. There would be no limitations on worship or movement in the Holy Basin. Jews, Muslims and Christians will have freedom of access to their Holy Sites respectively. No one country will have exclusive political sovereignty in the Holy Basin.
The Palestinian state will be a non-militarized state except for the needs for its internal policing security force.
The two leaders call on relevant parties on both sides, with the help of concerned countries to negotiate additional important elements of a final agreement, such as the status of settlements and settlers, refugees and additional security measures, including the possible stationing of an international force alongside the Jordan River. These issues should be adopted by the official representatives of the parties towards a comprehensive agreement.
