Blueprint for an Imposed Peace to End the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Richard J. Annen

BLUEPRINT FOR AN IMPOSED PEACE
TO END THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT

“When peace comes we will perhaps in time be able
to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be
harder for us to forgive them for having forced us to
kill their sons. Peace will come when the Arabs will
love their children more than they hate us.”
Golda Meir
Prime Minister of Israel
1969-1974

The following is an excerpt from Part Two of the 2-part Paper, “Blueprint for an Imposed Peace to End the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.” Part One sets forth the chronological historical and current facts of the Conflict and will be posted in separate posts. Part Two of the Paper sets forth the general principles that govern and the specific elements of the Blueprint. Only the Blueprint in excerpted form is below.

INTRODUCTION

The facts of the Conflict and the sad irony of Hamas’ October 23, 2023, brutal actions, reveal that after 75 years of conflict, with the elimination of Hamas, Israel, allied Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Morocco, the EU, and the US (the “Alliance”) are now perfectly positioned to exploit the opportunity and use their collective power to impose peace and end the Conflict and that such process can begin today.

A. The parties to impose peace. Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Morocco, the EU, and US shall form an alliance for the governing of the Palestinian people (the “Alliance” or “Governing Council”).

B. Establishment and borders of the Palestinian state. The Alliance shall act to determine the borders of the Palestinian state, which will be the existing defined borders of Gaza and agreed upon borders for the West Bank, and thereafter establish the Palestinian state.

C. The Palestinian state shall be placed and held in Trust pending self-governance and remain a Protectorate of the Alliance. The established Palestinian state will be placed in a Trust that the Governing Council shall administer for no less than five (5) years and thereafter until such time as it determines the citizens of the Palestinian state are ready and capable of assuming self-governance.

D. The Palestinian state shall exist as a de-militarized state. The Palestinian state shall be a completely de-militarized state. Firearms shall only be possessed by law enforcement officers. It shall not have a military force or militia and only internal law enforcement forces. Members of the Alliance shall agree to defend the Palestinian state against all forms of aggression, external and internal, both before and after transfer of the governance to the citizens of the Palestinian state, consistent with its status as a Protectorate. All terrorist organizations and affiliates, and vestiges thereof, will be eliminated from the Palestinian state before the transfer of the government to the citizens of Palestine.

E. Elimination of Hamas and other terrorist organizations. Israel will continue to act to ensure the elimination of Hamas and all other terrorist organizations from Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and report its progress to the Governing Council. The Governing Council, acting through the Trustees, shall act to eliminate the promotion of terrorist ideology.

F. The Constitution of the Palestinian state. The Governing Council shall prepare a draft proposed Constitution for a democratic Palestinian state, which will specifically include the renunciation of war and all aspects of terrorism, acceptance of Israel’s existence, and its status as a de-militarized Protectorate of the Alliance.

G. The Palestinian state legislature. Within one (1) year of voter approval of the Constitution, elections will be held to elect members to the legislature, as provided in the Constitution.

H. Funds for governance. The Governing Council shall immediately undertake to obtain and allocate funds for its governance of the Palestinian state, including funding to provide stipends to members to the Constitutional Convention, judges, and other public officials, including national and local police, assemble the funds necessary to rebuild Gaza, and receive and manage all humanitarian aid to the Palestinian state.

I. Day-to-day governance. The Governing Council shall select two Trustees to oversee the day-to-day responsibilities of governing the Palestinian state, one officed in Gaza and the other in the West Bank, but both with joint responsibility for overall day-to-day governance of the Palestinian state. The Palestinian state shall not do business with any country, business, organization, or individual that supports terrorist organizations or terrorist ideology.

J. The Economy of the Palestinian state. The Governing Council shall reach an agreement with Israel to connect Gaza and the West Bank via a roadway and/or rail link over Israeli territory to allow citizens of the Palestine state and goods to transit freely between the two areas. Incentives and accommodations shall be developed to encourage and support Palestinians moving from Gaza to the West Bank to help address the unsustainable over-crowding of Gaza.

K. Education. Palestinian state educational institutions at all levels shall educate, not indoctrinate. All schools, including colleges/universities shall not be allowed to promote terrorist ideology or promote the goals of terrorist organizations.

L. East Jerusalem will be an international city. East Jerusalem shall become an international city, which will be administered under the Governing Council’s supervision through a Trustee. The Governing Council shall act to define the borders of East Jerusalem. Governance of East Jerusalem will transfer to a permanent, independent governing body at such time as the Palestinian state is transferred to the citizens of the Palestinian state for self-governance. Such governing body shall include a representative of Israel and the Palestinian state. The same elements set forth herein as to the Palestinian state shall apply to East Jerusalem. East Jerusalem may become the site of the Palestinian state’s capital, as shall be included in, and determined at the time of voter approval of, the Constitution.

M. Egypt. The Governing Council shall work with Egypt to ensure that Egypt is secure with respect to its border with the Palestinian state. Israel will complete its elimination of terrorist organizations from Gaza, respecting Egypt’s right to not have Palestinians from Gaza forced into Egypt. Israel and Egypt will work together to ensure that the Philadelphi Corridor remains a buffer zone and to eliminate all cross=border tunnels between Egypt and Gaza.

CONCLUSION

The cornerstones of the Blueprint are: (1) Israel’s completion of the elimination of Hamas; (2) formation of the Alliance and establishment of the Governing Council; (3) formation of the Palestinian state, its placement in Trust and status as a Protectorate of the Alliance; and (4) the Alliance working with the citizens of the Palestinian state to achieve certain “benchmarks” prior to their assuming self-governance. The members of the Alliance are the only parties needed to end the Conflict by imposing peace. There will not be any failed negotiations; there is no table for Hamas to sit at or plan for it to reject.

While Israel continues with the elimination of Hamas, the Alliance can bring to bear the necessary expertise to supplement and modify the elements of the Blueprint to achieve the goal of a democratic, de-militarized Palestinian state coexisting with Israel in peace and mutual security. Doing so now sends a clear message to Hamas and its terrorist supporters, affiliates, and allies that the Palestinian people are no longer available to be used as a “weapon of war” and that the “permanent war” of the Conflict has ended.

With their liberation from Hamas and the establishment of the Palestinian state as a Protectorate, the now citizens of the Palestinian state must renounce war in words and actions as they travel down the road to self-governance.

The Blueprint builds in safeguards to address Israel’s security issues and the challenges with deradicalizing the segment of the Palestinian people who are not currently prepared to accept peace. With the implementation of the Blueprint, the Alliance will unleash the greatest force for peace, which is peace itself.

To Israel, complete the elimination of Hamas, be flexible and creative, and let this opportunity for peace, actually achieve peace and become a lasting memory and memorial for those whose deaths on October 7, 2023, and after, revealed this path to peace.

To the Palestinian people, rejoice in your liberation from Hamas, reject all forms of terrorism, recognize that as a people you have the power to do what you did not have the power to do for the last 75 years, establish and build your nation. Learn to love your children more than you hate Jews, teach them peace not hate, and, in time, find true peace with your neighbors.

To the leaders of the Arab states who found peace with Israel and those who want to, embrace this opportunity to form the Alliance and be the force that gives the Palestinian people the opportunity to have their own nation. Help them to embrace peace with Israel and put aside their hate. Use your power and influence to protect and guide them to self-governance. Let the Alliance become the vehicle to not only end the Conflict, but to achieve peace and stability throughout the Middle East.