An Israeli Palestinian Beacon of Hope
Authors: Former prime minister of Israel Ehud Olmert and former foreign affairs minister of the Palestinian Authority Nasser AlKidwa
On October 7, 2023 a new earth shattering chapter in the history of violent encounters between Palestinians and Israelis took place and launched the most devastating war in the history of these two peoples. Now, almost one year later following that horrific day, too many thousands of people have been killed on both sides. The Gaza Strip has been destroyed, most of its inhabitants have become refugees once again, there are now about two million homeless Gazans. More than two hundred thousand of Israelis have also become homeless, forced to leave their destroyed and burned homes.
We didn’t know each other in the past in the official positions that we both held in service of our people. Our professional paths did not cross and bring us to work together, until now. In our mutual search to find a partner on the other side of the conflict to work together, with mutual respect, for the purpose of finding a breakthrough towards ending the war in Gaza, and beginning renewed negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority with the aspiration of reaching an agreement that will put a final end to the violent conflict between our two peoples. We know that this will lead to the creation of a front of moderate states in the region, including Saudi Arabia, and additional Muslim countries together with the State of Israel and the State of Palestine, making our whole region more stable, more secure, and more prosperous for all of its peoples.
In our societies, Israel and Palestine, there is a great propensity for destroying any politician who steps outside of comfortable consensus through the most extreme form of ridicule and criticism. During war time consensus is rallying around the flag and any swaying from absolute support of the war effort is likened to treason. The suggestion of a radical change of course is viewed as capitulation or granting the other side victory. But the true test of leadership is not following public opinion, guiding your words by public opinion polls, but rather by determining the best strategic path for your nation’s future and presenting it boldly and without fear. We, two former leaders who have served our people faithfully for decades, have come together with a shared vision and a proposal that challenges our tragic reality and has the potential to change our nations, our region, and in fact the world.
We begin with the very basics. The war in Gaza must end. The Israeli hostages held in Hamas captivity must be returned to their families. Israel will have to release the agreed number of Palestinian prisoners. Israel must withdraw from Gaza and The Palestinians will create a new, responsible and legitimate entity in Gaza which is not composed of politicians from any of the Palestinian factions and will be organically linked to the Palestinian Authority but independent enough to gain the acceptance of the Palestinian people, the Arab neighbors, and the international community.
The following part of our plan describes the ingredients of what would enable a long-term sustainable Israeli-Palestinian peace. It must be based on the existence of the States of Israel and Palestine living side by side on the basis of the June 4, 1967 borders. We agreed that 4.4% of the West Bank, where the main Israeli settlement blocs exist including in the Jerusalem area, will be annexed to Israel in exchange for equal size territory from within Israel that will be annexed to the State of Palestine to accommodate realities on the ground that are too difficult to reverse. The heart of our conflict is Jerusalem for which we propose a plan that removes the Old City of Jerusalem, the center of the religious sites, from the exclusive sovereign control of Israel and of Palestine. The Old City of Jerusalem will be administered by a trusteeship of five states of which Israel and Palestine are part. We address all of the core issues but this is not a full plan with all of the details. We have agreed on the contours of what genuine Israeli-Palestinian peace must be based on. In the not-too-distant future, a new generation of Israeli and Palestinian leaders will have the task of negotiating and transforming this vision into reality.
As part of our commitment, we are now investing our time and effort to generate support for our proposal from the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, opinion makers and political leaders in the region and beyond. We are presenting the unavoidable truth that this conflict must be resolved diplomatically for us to create a course for a different tomorrow. We are working tirelessly to explain our plans and to secure public support as widely as possible. In our minds, this is not just a document but a living vision of a different future for Israel, Palestine, and the world.
In a period of such frightening darkness, we have chosen to shine a light of hope and to point to the path that our two peoples must take.
The following is the proposal that we have put our names to:
Proposal by former prime minister of Israel Ehud Olmert and former foreign affairs minister of the Palestinian Authority Nasser AlKidwa
The former Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Ehud Olmert and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Nasser AlKidwa, 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 of 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. In 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.
