Charles - I am a dual citizen of Israel having lived there in the 1980's and I have been going back and forth to Israel twice a year for the holidays since 1956 to visit my relatives - all 37 of them live in the settlements. You ask what Bibi should have said - here is my answer. We are living in momentous times and the world is changing rapidly. Some of it good and some not so good but that is the nature of change. Israel and the United States must remain ahead of that change to remain strategically viable. To that end President Obama has rightfully committed himself to help move the Arab world towards democracy and I believe he will lead other nations in a similar direction. Israel also must do her part to help this rapid change become positive. To that end, I propose to you, our Palestinian and Arab brothers an historic opening for Peace. In the negotiations, I will be guided by these principles: All humans deserve dignity and opportunity be they Arab, Jew or other. I thus commit myself and Israel to a peace agreement that is just and allows the Palestinians to enjoy their lives with dignity and honor. I believe Mr. Abbas and Mr. Fayyad are honorable men who are capable of leading their people to peace. I propose that a border be delineated between us that will correspond to the 67 borders with the following modifications:
1 – Alfei Menashe will be ceded to Israel
2 – Ariel on a more or less straight line to the west would be ceded to Israel and would include the villages of Kiryat Revava, Netafim, Barkan, Elkana, Shaare Tikva and Etz Efrayim. However, this is conditional on Israel ceding the aquifer under Ariel to Palestinian control.
3 – Modiin Illit and the small communities to its west will be ceded to Israel.
4 – The bulge west of Mevo Horon will be ceded to Israel.
5 – Givat Zeev, Givon Hachadasha, Ramot Alon, Ramat Shlomo, French Hill, Pisgat Zeev and Neve Yaakov will all be connected by a road to Route 1 in Israel and ceded to Israel. An overpass road will connect Ramallah, Beit Hanina, and Shuafat with a Route 1 overpass to Abu Dis and points south.
6 – Maale Adumim will be ceded to Israel with route 1 serving as access to Jerusalem. However, Kfar Adumim will remain in Palestinian territory
7 – Har Homa and Gilo will be ceded to Israel however the territory exclusive of the built up areas will go to the Palestinians. It means these two towns can build up but not out. East Talpiyot will be ceded to Israel.
8 – The green line will be adjusted north enough to allow a road connecting Beit Safafa to Sur Bahar and thus to Bethlehem and the rest of East Jerusalem. Har Gilo would be in Palestinian territory.
9 – Betar Illit, Neve Daniyel , Efrat, Bat Ayin , Migdal Oz and surrounding towns would be ceded to Israel.
10 – A huge swath of the Negev will be ceded to the Palestinians south of Gaza. An area west of a line from road 2211 south all the way to route 211 and east to route 40 near Be’er Sheva. The Jews of Israel are never going to populate the Negev so turning it over to the Palestinians is no big loss.1
11 – Two nuclear power plants would be built and owned by the International community and run by the IAEA to provide power for an expanded Gaza and one for the West Bank. The International community would also provide two massive desalinization plants based in Gaza and powered by the nuclear plant. The expanded Gaza would provide room for Palestinian refugees who return home.
12 – A rail line would be built from Gaza through the Negev territory of the expanded Gaza and run just north of Be’er Sheva to the west bank with appropriate overpasses (or underpasses) to allow Israeli passage This rail line would then connect to Hebron, Bethlehem, Abu Dis, Jericho, Ramallah, Nablus, and Jenin.
13 – The implementation of the Gaza expansion and rail line would be deferred until 3 years into a unified Palestinian government and approved by the UNSC.
14 – In the old city of Jerusalem, the Jewish, Armenian and Christian quarters would be ceded to Israel. The Western Wall and Temple Mount and mosques would be admiministerd jointly.
15 – Palestine will be demilitarized to the extent no heavy weapons are allowed. (ie no tanks, artillery, fighter planes etc). It will have control of its airspace.
16 – Nato troops will patrol the Jordan Valley but will not have a say in who or what goes in or out of Palestine – they can observe and report. This is subject to a 5 year limitation under UNSC auspices.
I believe this is a fair and just division of the land both our peoples love. At the conclusion of the peace agreement we will jointly recognize the nature of each of our peoples states, one Jewish and one Palestinian. Last but not least, we cannot accommodate a return of the Palestinian refugees to the new shrunken Israel. However, we recognize their plight and apologize for our role in their flight. I am sure the new Palestinian state welcomes their return and hope and pray that those who want to stay in their new countries are allowed citizenship and dignity of opportunity. Israel will go to the UN to set up a commission of reparations for Palestinian refugees that Israel will contribute sizeable portions and hopefully so will other countries. To end this long speech I ask all our Arab neighbors to grab our hand of peace so that all peoples can prosper and grow. It is what the G-d of all of us would want. Thanks You. gledell
