The Olmert peace proposal

September 16, 2008.

The Palestinians never gave a reaction.

1. A territorial solution between Israel and the Palestinian state would be based upon the 1967 borders, with the exchange of territories (6.3% of the territory of the Westbank, including the new Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem).
2. The territories that were demilitarized before 1967 would be equally divided.
3. The Jewish neighborhoods, which were built in Jerusalem after the Six Day War, would remain under the sovereignty of the State of Israel.
4. The Arab neighborhoods, which are included today within the territory of the city of Jerusalem, would become part of the Palestinian state that would be established following the agreement. This part of the city would be considered, if they desired, as the capital of the Palestinian state.
5. The “holy basin,” that part of the city of Jerusalem that is sacred to all three monotheistic religions, including the Old City, would be defined as a territory under the trusteeship of five countries: Saudi Arabia, the Jordanian Kingdom, the Palestinian state, Israel and the United States.The entire area would remain open for free entrance to worshippers of all faiths and the five countries would be responsible for setting the procedures, regulations and arrangements that would apply to the area’s residents and visitors.
6. Israel would agree to absorb Palestinians within its borders on an individual and humanitarian basis, and on the basis of family reunifications. Each year, over the course of five years, one thousand Palestinians that Israel would be willing to accept, will be absorbed.
7. The parties would cooperate with international entities that will finance a monetary fund, which will provide generous compensation to Palestinians, Jews and Israelis, who have suffered from the wars in this region. This would be a fund that Israel would be prepared to act to establish, but that its budget would come from other countries with financial means and the desire to contribute to ending the conflict.
8. Israel would agree to connect the Gaza Strip and the West Bank with a 40-km tunnel, the entrances and exits of which would be under Palestinian control. For safety and security reasons, there would be gates placed along the tunnel and in case of an exceptional security event or a car accident, it would be possible to open or close them.
9. The relative portion of the Dead Sea, which is adjacent to the borders of the Palestinian state, would be under their sovereignty. That portion would not include the Dead Sea’s factories, the tourism area and the Israeli hotels.

In addition to these principles, Israel had a number of fundamental demands that would be an integral part of the agreement:

1. No military forces would be allowed inside the Palestinian state. The Palestinians would be able to maintain security forces within their own state for the purpose of law enforcement.
2. The border between the Palestinian state and Jordan will not enable free passage and there will be military presence in it.
3. Israel and the Palestinians, in cooperation with the United States, will set the procedures that would ensure no foreign army could enter the territory of the Palestinian state and that in case of an invasion into the Palestinian state, Israel would have the right to defend itself even beyond the agreed border line between us.
4. A written commitment that the Palestinians would have no more demands and that this agreement would constitute an end to the conflict between the parties.