242 or 2-states: One led to peace treaties, the other to recurrent wars
The 242 UNSC resolution from November 1967 brought two peace treaties between Israel and its neighbors: the peace treaty with Egypt in 1979, and the peace treaty with Jordan in 1994. Since then, this path was abandoned in favor of an elusive peace path between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs, the so-called “2-state solution”. This alternate path has only brought repeated wars during the last 30 years.
The failure of the “2-state solution” approach is that it fails to recognize that, at its core, the conflict is not a local conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians, but a regional conflict between the Arabs and the Jews. It has been succinctly defined by President Joe Biden in year 2021: “Let us get something straight here. Until the region says unequivocally that they acknowledge the right of Israel to exist as an independent Jewish state, there will be no peace.”
I ask you to lend your support for a 242-based resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. I describe in detail a phased implementation of the 242, adapted to the present circumstances, in an article I published in the “Times of Israel” newspaper, titled “A humanitarian, 242-based phased solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict”. I included the article in the latest edition (October 2025) of my book “The root of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the path to peace”.
Please, accept a complimentary paperback copy of my book, included with this letter. You can find the article in pages 190-193 of the English edition, and pages 195-198 of the Spanish edition.
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The above is a copy of a letter I lately sent to senators and representatives in Congress, as well as to the Hispanic Caucuses in Congress and in the Californian Legislature. The letter was accompanied by a paperback copy of my book (either the English or Spanish editions, depending on the addressee.)
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In the humanitarian, 242-based solution I propose, no one will be forced to leave his/her home. After a recognized international border in the West Bank between Israel and Jordan will be established, replacing the armistice (cease-fire) lines of 1949, some small Jewish towns, presently in the West Bank, might appear within Jordan’s international borders. Similarly, some small Arab towns, presently in the West Bank, might appear within the international border of Israel. The same might happen with some small Arab towns presently within Israel’s 1949 armistice borders: they might appear within Jordan’s international borders. No one will be forced to leave his/her home, and the individual civil rights of these people will be respected. This will include their rights to keep their ties with their fellow citizens on the other side of the international border. This will also include their right to hold dual-citizenship.
The approach being pursued by France and other European states (a “free-of-Jews” Judea and Samaria, aka West Bank), is not only ahistoric and inhumane but would lead to catastrophic results. For the unaware reader: around 2 million Palestinian Arabs live presently within the pre-June 1967 Israeli borders. They enjoy full civil rights, they are represented by political parties in the Israeli parliament, and even have a representative in the Israeli High Court of Justice. Those who adamantly demand “a Palestinian state free-of-Jews” should think twice about the potential catastrophic consequences of their attitude. Reciprocity could be demanded and applied, meaning: “a state of Israel free-of-Palestinians.”
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Note:
You can get a free downloadable copy of the books (October 2025 edition) at the ResearchGate website. And here are the links:
English edition:
Spanish edition:
