Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Obama's Middle East peace plan: "Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon to the West Bank"


LR now at Politico, here

"Via the BBC's media monitoring service, a Palestinian MP has told Al-Jazeera.net that Arab leaders are studying details of a written Obama plan for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to the MP, the plan, which has been shared with Arab leaders, would have Obama attend a special peace conference in Sharm el-Shekh Egypt at the end of the month.

The alleged U.S. plan, as described by Palestinian MP Hasan Khurayshah to Al Jazeera, "includes 10 key clauses." Among them:

1. Deploying international forces in the Jordan Valley and some areas of the West Bank.

2. Placing some areas in east Jerusalem under the authority of Israel and keeping the Islamic sites in Jerusalem under Arab control.

3. Disbanding all Palestinian factions and transforming them into political movements.

4. Keeping the large settlements that are built in the West Bank under the authority of Israel, while negotiations, which will last three months, will begin after agreeing on this plan to discuss the status of the small settlements.

5. Disarming several areas in the West Bank, while Israel will retain air control.

6. Enhancing security coordination and cooperation between the Israelis and Palestinians.

7. The PNA will not be allowed to forge any military alliances with any countries in the region.

8. The United States commits to the establishment of a Palestinian state in the summer of 2011.

9. Allowing a number of refugees to return to several areas in the West Bank, specifically in the cities of Ramallah and Nablus, along with ensuring the provision of the necessary financial support for the return of those refugees.

"Khurayshah noted that the plan proposes returning the Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon to the West Bank and setting up cities for them between Ramallah and Nablus, and not to their cities and villages from which they were displaced. According to Khurayshah, 75 per cent of the population of the Gaza Strip are refugees; 35 per cent of the population of the Gaza Strip [as received; West Bank] are also refugees; and 20 per cent of the Palestinians within the Green Line were displaced from their lands...." 

10. Israel will start releasing the Palestinian prisoners immediately upon signing the plan, provided it releases all prisoners within three years..."

 


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

At the end of the day if the majority of Palestinians support this measure than I will support it. No one knows better how these would effect the lives on Palestinians than the Palestinians themselves.

But on the face of it I'm not to impressed by it. Seems to confirm all my doubts on the two state solution.

Israel retaining air control over another state does not make that state a free state. Neither does the PNA not being allowe to forge any military alliances with any countries in the region.

This coupled with the land divide between Gaza and the West Bank virtually kills any chance of this state being sovereign.

The settlement issue seems insane looks like a total cave in and I don't see how it would work.

If this all Obama has to offer I hope it fails. Unless of course the Palestinians actually think it's a good deal in which time I will grudgingly accept it. But I doubt they will.

One State Solution seems like the best option.

Anonymous said...

The returning refugees should get the settlements evacuated by Israel. This little measure of historical justice will give the refugees some small consolation for their long suffering and save money.