Who is responsible for that catastrophe? The parties are almost too many to name. The problems in the region certainly stem from the aftermath of the First World War, when the victors were given responsibility and authority over the pieces that were once part of the Ottoman Empire, and among those parties Great Britian must take both the credit for the creation of independent nations, and the blame for the steps taken that led directly to today's Middle East. But even before that time, the Ottoman Empire itself ruled over much of the region as an absentee-landlord, selling bits and pieces to well-meaning buyers, including the nascent Zionist movement in search of a homeland, with little consideration of the inhabitants on the ground. And before that, the roots of the conflict go back as far as the Crusades, and even to the Roman eviction of Jews from Israel two thousand years ago.
Responbility for today's Middle East does not only roll backwards from the First World War. Since that time many have actively participated in hate, violence, and war, and too few in peaceful reconciliation. The day Israel declared its independence it was attacked by an overwhelming number of enemies, and survived only through the heroic actions of its men and women. And those enemies remained intent upon the eradication of the Jewish presence in the Middle East for decades to follow. In the decades to follow Israel remained constantly vigilant, but the cost of that vigilance was blindness, blindness to our neighbors, our brethren, people suffering as we suffered for so long. Who is responsible for al-Naqba, the catastrophe of the Palestinian people? No one party carries that loathsome burden alone, but neither is any one party in the region free of it, either. It is time for Israel to say we, too, are responsible for the suffering of the Palestinian people. It is time, too, for Israel to do everything in its power to alleviate their suffering, and to assist them in realizing the same dream we realized on that historic day in May, almost sixty years ago.
On June 5, 1967, Israel fought a defensive war in response to actions by its Arab neighbors, including the closing of the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping and Egypt's demand of withdrawal of UN peacekeeping troops. The result of that war was the liberation of Jerusalem and its holy sites, forbidden to Jews since the War of Independence. The other, and ultimately far more difficult, result was the occupation of the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. Isreal held that land, not willing to permit its sworn enemies any closer to its borders, and in hopes that eventually it could be traded for precious peace.
Then, on November 19, 1977, a tremendously brave man, a man who should be remembered by history as one of the great peacemakers of the world, Anwar Sadat, came to Israel. President Sadat's visit led to the first peace between Israel and one of its Arab neighbors, and culminated in the Camp David Accords, and the return of the Sinai to Egypt. Since that day Israel and Egypt have been at peace, and have shared the benefits of the peace in economy and friendship.
On October 26, 1994, another brave hero, King Hussein of Jordan, signed a peace agreement, and Israel returned hundreds of square miles of the Arava and reached an accord on water rights from the River Jordan.
Today Israel will be brave. It will take the steps necessary to right the wrongs of its past, and to welcome a new Palestinian State into the nations of the world.
Israel hereby renounces any right, authority, or obligation over the Gaza Strip or the West Bank. It unilaterally returns those lands, with the authority of Egypt and Jordan, the nations which possessed them in 1967, to the people of Palestine. A new map has been created, one which includes the globe's newest nation, an independent Palestine. The border lines very closely match those of June 4, 1967, with slight modifications necessary for security amounting to less than 2 percent of the total border, and with land added and subtracted equally to both sides. Further, Israel recognizes that it may not unilaterally declare permanent borders, and welcomes further negotiation with its newest neighbor.
Israel further acknowledges that its neighbors, its friends, its brothers, suffered their own diaspora as a cost of the Jewish State. It hereby pledges five hundred million American dollars to Palestine as restitution and payment for the land and home of those displaced souls. Further, Israel acknowledges the terrible economic burden placed upon the former Occupied Territories during the past forty years, and will immediately initiate a one percent sales tax for an nonessential items for ten years, with all of that money, too, to go to Palestine to assist in its economic development and security. Israel also invites Palestine, along with its friends Egypt and Jordan, to enter into mutual trade agreements for the benefit of all. Finally, Israel will build, at its own cost, an elevated or otherwise secure passage between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, to join the two into one great state.
From May 14, 1948 through June 11, 1967, Jews were barred from their holiest sites in Jerusalem, a city sacred to three of the world's great religions. From that day forward worshipers of all beliefs were free to pray as they saw fit. However, even that freedom had a cost, for it included the occupation of the homes and land of our Arab brothers. Jerusalem was originally envisioned by the United Nations as an international city, but that dream is not realistic, for neither we nor our neighbors could now be asked to surrender our history or our religion to coalitions. Jews, also, can not be asked to surrender that history, or our right to pray at our holiest sites, given the previous abuse during the Occupation from 1948 to 1967. However, we also must not ask our neighbors to surrender their own history, or their own right to pray. We therefore offer shared authority over a demilitarized Jerusalem, with each State controlling clearly defined areas of the city, and each State making the Holy City its capital. We further invite the nations of Germany, England, France, and the United States, nations deeply involved in the history of the region, nations respected by all, to offer neutral security forces in the holy city of Jerusalem.
Today is February 2, 2007. There are Jewish settlers in the West Bank, and we hope they will be welcome as citizens of Palestine, just as we welcome our Arab citizens. But if they wish to remain Israeli they must leave the territory of Palestine, as Israel will no longer have authority over that land. We therefore give those settlers who do not wish to reamin in Palestine one hundred days to leave, and will pay their expenses for that relocation.
That one hundred days will end on May 14, 2007. On that day Israel will welcome Palestine into the brotherhood of states. It will proudly sponsor Palestine's membership in the United Nations, and will offer it every assistance. It is our hope and our prayer that May 14 will forever after be a day of celebration for both of our peoples, when we can each, together, rejoice in our independence and freedom, rather than see our brothers suffer our freedom as their catastrophe.
May 14, 2007, will mark the day Israel forever disavows any authority over the former Occupied Territories. It also will mark the day the new State of Palestine will enjoy full authority over that land, including the obligation to govern it, and to take responsibility for protecting its citizens and the sanctity of its borders. Israel will offer Palestine assistance in policing those borders. It also recognizes that a new State can not be asked to instantly exercise such control, and will exercise patience. However, at some point in the near future, with independence comes responsibility, and Israel will hold Palestine responsible for securing its borders and preventing attacks on Israel's citizens from inside Palestine. And Israel retains the right, as does every nation on earth, to self-defense, including the right to defend itself from attacks by its neighbors and its neighbor's inhabitants. We reach the hand of friendship to our Palestinian brothers, and offer that same hand to assist in the defense of our mutual border. At the same time, we warn our brothers that freedom comes with grave responsibilities, both to its citizens and its neighbors, and warns that it will respond to assaults against our people with overwhelming strength.
From this day forward it is our earnest desire that May 14 will be a day of celebration for all the people of the Middle East, a day that marks the end of war, of hatred, of terrorism, and the beginning to peace and brotherhood. We welcome a new and independent Palestine into the brotherhood of nations, and put behind us decades of bloodshed.
The I-P diaries are daily, with reciminations, accusations, and obfuscations. I am an active participant in those diaries, often attempting to debunk what I perceive as unfair, but never before saying what I would like to see in the area. But I really do have a very strong idea of what I would prefer- acknowledgement that Israel shares respsibility for the suffering in the region, and a two-state solution. I also believe that Israel must make a first, strong, and unilateral step toward peace. Not only because it is in a position to do so, but because I believe that any Palestinian leader attempting to do so would suffer the fate of Sadat.
The above is written, not as my personal opinion (though it tracks quite closely), but as what I believe would be the Israeli voice in such an announcement. The announcement really boils down to something very simple- 'You want a country? You've got it. Now control it.' The result? Eventually, two independent states, but probably only after several rounds of terrorist attacks from a minority of Palestinians dissatisfied with less than the whole pie, and responses from Israel.
Let the games begin.