Daniel Lubetzky

Zahava Gal-On, chief of Israeli political party Meretz, presented her peace plan to replace the Oslo Accords. In her plan, outlined in the Haaretz piece below, Gal-On recognizes the benefit to Israel of recognizing a Palestinian state and aims to help the Palestinian state gain acceptance in the UN.

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Julianna Storch

Israeli left-wing party drafts new Mideast peace plan to replace Oslo Accords
Under Meretz’s plan, Israel would help Palestine be accepted as a UN member, and be the first country to recognize the new state.

By Akiva Eldar | Sep.25, 2012 | 12:50 AM

Meretz chief Zahava Gal-On is promoting a peace plan that would replace the Oslo Accords with a new timetable to end the conflict. Under the plan, Israel would help Palestine be accepted as the 194th member of the United Nations and be the first country to recognize the new state.

“Without determining who is to blame for what, the Oslo process must be replaced by a new paradigm,” Gal-On told Haaretz. “A Palestinian state is an Israeli interest, so Israel must be the first to recognize it and support its acceptance by the UN.”

Gal-On hopes to have the plan approved by Meretz before the next elections.

Under the plan, Israel would declare without preconditions that the conflict must be solved by ending the occupation based on the 1967 borders, with 1:1 land swaps. Meanwhile, Jerusalem would be divided based on the proposals by former U.S. President Bill Clinton – Jewish neighborhoods to Israel, Palestinian neighborhoods to Palestine, and special status for the Holy Basin.

The plan also proposes that the government declare an immediate freeze on settlement activity, as long as is needed to ensure peace negotiations. The talks would last no more than a year, and the gradual implementation of core issues would take no more than four years.

As for Israel’s relations with its neighbors, the plan calls on Israel to support the main points of the Arab Peace Initiative and declare a willingness to enter negotiations for its full implementation.

Golan Heights Plan
Meanwhile, after a representative, elected government is in place in Damascus, Israel would seek a peace treaty with Syria based on returning the Golan Heights, security arrangements with U.S. guarantees, a demilitarization of the Golan Heights, and normal relations between the two countries.

The sides would invite international players such as the Quartet and United Nations to keep the talks running, as well as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Turkey. The international community would be asked to send a peacekeeping force to the demilitarized Palestinian state.

Gal-On said the plan would prevent a unilateral declaration of independence at the United Nations and the possible outbreak of another intifada. She said such a plan would radically improve Israel’s international standing, breaking up the “automatic majority” against Israel at the United Nations.

The plan would also “help Jerusalem mobilize a coalition against Iran’s nuclear weapons,” Gal-On added.