By Armin Sijamić
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Qudwa last week presented a joint plan on how to end the war in the Gaza Strip and how to form a Palestinian state that will exist alongside Israel. The plan by the two former high-ranking politicians did not receive much attention, which also speaks to the ongoing conflict itself.
It is not new for former politicians and officials to have "hindsight." Their story is always more or less the same – they worked on it, but the circumstances were not favorable. The plan presented last week by Olmert and al-Qudwa will certainly be viewed by some, perhaps justifiably, in that way. Likewise, there will be those who will disqualify the plan because of the biographies of its authors.
However, the proposal should have a chance, at least before history, because since October 7, Israel, and especially the Gaza Strip, have suffered immense hardships. Over forty thousand people have been killed, hundreds of thousands wounded, millions displaced, over 80 percent of buildings in the Gaza Strip destroyed, and a regional war is looming... In addition, in the media campaign "justifying" the actions being taken, the facts that peace is possible and that concrete proposals, accepted by many on both sides, exist are being obscured.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
A History of Rejection
When discussing Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the issue of rejecting them, or the offers that were on the table, is also raised. It is claimed that they are not fair, especially to the Palestinians, that negotiations are held without the intention of reaching an agreement, and that extremists do not want peace. Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by extremists in 1995, after negotiating with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Even today, there are those who do not accept the idea of Israel and Palestine existing as two states. In Benjamin Netanyahu's current government, some have built their political image on the idea that Palestinians should always and everywhere be attacked in every way until they are displaced. Netanyahu himself now espouses such views, saying that a two-state solution now would be a reward for Hamas terrorists.
Netanyahu's thesis is nonsensical, firstly because Hamas is not an internationally recognized authority, nor is that authority recognized by all Palestinians. And secondly, Hamas, with Chinese mediation, has *de facto* agreed to recognize Israel as a state and that the authority in the West Bank is the only legitimate Palestinian government.
Furthermore, the negotiations that Israel and Hamas are conducting, with the mediation of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt, are proof that even those who want to destroy each other can negotiate. Ultimately, the future of entire peoples is more important than the positions of two political camps that have an expiration date.
What do Olmert and al-Qudwa propose?
Olmert and al-Qudwa have once again shown that a peace agreement is possible and that there are clear ideas on how it can be achieved, literally with little effort compared to the price of decades of suffering. But the obstacle to this now is Netanyahu. At the end of May, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he thought the current Israeli prime minister was not ready for a compromise that would lead to the formation of a Palestinian state. A few days ago, US President Joseph Biden said that Netanyahu is not making enough effort even to reach a ceasefire and hostage exchange agreement.
Olmert and al-Qudwa support Biden's ceasefire plan. They also support Biden's plan for a "Council of Commissioners" to govern the Gaza Strip after Israel's withdrawal, until a new Palestinian government is elected. After that, the proposers agree that the borders from 1967 should be returned to, but with land swaps, because the reality on the ground is completely different than it was more than half a century ago.
This particularly applies to Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. For decades, Israel has been expanding settlements to prevent the consolidation of Palestinian territories. The settlements built, especially in the West Bank, have multiple purposes. In addition to placing settlers on hills relative to Palestinians in the valleys, they are connected in a way that divides the Palestinian community. It is difficult to imagine that Israel will now displace all these people, around seven hundred thousand of them. The International Court of Justice declared the occupation of the West Bank illegal in July, as were the aforementioned settlements, and ordered Israel to withdraw from there.
Olmert and al-Qudwa therefore propose land swaps. Palestinians would give about 4.4 percent of the West Bank territory and in return receive territory, primarily a corridor, which, with security guarantees, would connect the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The expansion of Palestinian territories from the West Bank towards the Gaza Strip was a red line for Tel Aviv, as military experts claimed that this narrow space could be cut, dividing Israel into two parts in an attack by Arab units. Tel Aviv previously counted on Iraq and Syria, which were then investing huge resources in their armored units.
Olmert and al-Qudwa proposed that the issue of Old Jerusalem be resolved through joint management by five states, two of which would be Israel and Palestine. No state would have exclusive political sovereignty, and Jewish, Muslim, and Christian believers would have freedom of religious practice. Israel would receive all of West Jerusalem and all Jewish settlements built after 1967, and Palestine would receive the eastern part of the city, where the capital would be located.
Former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Qudwa
They then propose that a Palestinian government be formed and elections held within 24 to 35 months. The aforementioned agreement of Palestinian factions in Beijing also provided for a transitional government and elections. The two former officials state that the Gaza Strip, where Hamas is present, should be secured by joint Arab forces, with the presence of the Israeli army, to prevent new incursions into Israel.
To achieve all of this, a donor conference for Palestine is needed, at which Arab and Western countries would provide funds and thus become part of the plan's implementation, Olmert and al-Qudwa believe.
This initial proposal, offered by Olmert and al-Qudwa to the authorities and the public, envisages the establishment of a demilitarized Palestinian state, except for the extent necessary for police forces. They also propose the deployment of international forces in the Jordan Valley, if necessary.
Old Ideas and Old Actors
Israeli media noted that the plan is similar to the one Olmert offered to Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, in 2008. That plan failed because Olmert soon left the prime minister's position and did not have the support of any other party, including Abbas. According to polls, most Israelis were against it. The 2008 offer was a continuation of Olmert's plans from 2006, when he sought the demolition of some settlements in the West Bank and the annexation of parts of those territories, an agreement on Jerusalem... Therefore, it is difficult to assess which part of the plan did not suit those involved in the negotiations, public and secret.
At this moment, Olmert and al-Qudwa's proposal sounds even more difficult to implement, especially after October 7, not because of the impossibility of its execution, but because the wounds are deepening on both sides. Netanyahu's government, especially the far-right elements within it, would certainly reject such a plan as long as possible. Some on the Palestinian side would also do so, especially those around Palestinian Islamic Jihad, who reject Israel's existence and the recent agreement of Palestinian factions in Beijing.
However, it is clear to many that old patterns must be abandoned. Former Israeli officials say that Israel is losing support in the West, which Biden has also stated. Some claim that Israel has lost the war in the Gaza Strip because it has not achieved its goals. And those goals are not known, not even to the army, which has openly criticized Netanyahu for it. The verdict of the aforementioned court, protests around the world, the severance of diplomatic relations with Israel, the worsening relations with some European countries, the military strengthening of rivals... still do not change Netanyahu's behavior, who does not back down even under pressure from the Biden administration.
Panorama of Jerusalem
The proposal put forward by Olmert and al-Qudwa shows that there are those who think differently from Netanyahu, even if they are perhaps far from where decisions are made. On the other hand, perhaps this is part of what is being negotiated in secret, and these proposals are testing public opinion.
In the coming weeks, as the US presidential elections approach, we may get some answers to these questions. Palestine has unexpectedly become important for the election outcome, but also for American plans. Since Barack Obama was in the White House, the US has wanted to withdraw from the Middle East to some extent and focus on containing China. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East do not allow them to do so. Any agreement between Israel and Palestine is impossible without Washington, so the world's eyes are on the world's greatest power, if only for American interests. The verdict of the International Court of Justice and the reaction of people around the world cannot be ignored and then continue with the same policy, and the proposal by Olmert and al-Qudwe is proof that there is a way to reach an agreement and end the war.
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