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Last update - 14:05 11/06/2007
REFERENDUM: Return of a bilateral peace plan
By Bradley Burston

The following is an experiment in interactivity. Respondents to this piece are requested to begin their talkback response with PRO, CON, or ABSTAIN.

_________________


This week, campaigning to be the Labor Party's candidate for prime minister, Ami Ayalon issued a re-endorsement of the peace plan which he and Palestinian intellectual Sari Nusseibeh initiated in 2002.

Ayalon, a onetime commander of the Israel Navy and former chief of the Shin Bet, said Sunday that the proposal outlined his vision for a future peace.

The plan, in its outlines, adopts elements of the Clinton proposal, the Saudi initiative, UN resolutions, and past Israel-PA agreements. Under the plan, an independent Palestine would be established in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with a link between them.

The borders of the new state would be based on 1967 lines, with a territorial exchange allowing for Israel to annex major settlement blocs and an equal amount of area to be granted Palestine from areas now within Israel proper. No settlers would remain within Palestine.

The Palestinian state would be demilitarized, under agreements in which the international community would guarantee its security.

Regarding the right of return, "Palestinians refugees will return only to the State of Palestine; Jews will return only to the State of Israel." In addition, Israel, Palestine, and the international community would set up a fund to compensate Palestinian refugees for their suffering.

As for Jerusalem, the Palestinians would have sovereignty over Arab neighborhoods, and Israel over Jewish neighborhoods. Neither side would have sovereignty over holy sites. Israel would act as guardian of the Western wall, Palestine as guardian of the Noble Sanctuary mosque compound.

On Sunday, Ayalon said he believed that 70 percent of Israelis and an equal percentage of Palestinians supported the plan.

I believe he's right. I also believe that it will be an unconscionable eternity before we can bring ourselves to do anything about it.

I also believe that after we are finished rocketing, bombing, hating, blaming, and demonizing each other, that is to say, decades from now, when we as armed overgrown pre-schoolers finally grow up, these are the outlines of the arrangement we will swallow our bile and accept.

_____________


Recent blogs:
1967 - The war that ended Judaism
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Hamas' latest conquest, The Walt Disney Co

__________________


The guiding principles of the talkback forum for this article will be mutual respect and openness to dialogue. Participants, even if they rule out, dismiss or oppose coexistence, must, within the confines of this forum, practice it.

Censorship will be unapologetic.

Political orientation will have absolutely no bearing on whether a comment is posted or rejected.

The following will be grounds for deletion:

1. Racist remarks, as well as slurs on the basis of religion, ethnicity and gender.
2. Use of the terms Nazi, Hitler, to describe the actions and policies of Israelis, Palestinians or other parties to the Israel-Arab conflict.
3. Disparaging remarks, personal attacks, vulgarities and profanities directed at other participants in the forum.
4. Advocacy of violence against individuals or religious, ethnic or racial groups, including statements which may be construed as urging attacks on leaders, officials, security forces or civilians.

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  1.   PRO: I always supported this plan 11:30  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 11/06/07
  2.   Pro!!! 11:40  |  Elie Friedman 11/06/07
  3.   Bradley Bradley Bradley 11:40  |  Daniel 11/06/07
  4.   I AM A "CONT" ON THESE BASIS 11:41  |  indrajaya 11/06/07
  5.   I AM A "CONT" ON THESE BASIS 11:41  |  indrajaya 11/06/07
  6.   Bilateral Peace Plan 11:46  |  Mark Scher 11/06/07
  7.   Pro 11:54  |  Guido 11/06/07
  8.   And what happens when... 11:57  |  H50 11/06/07
  9.   referendum 12:01  |  Av10.3830 11/06/07
  10.   CON CON AND CON IT WILL NOT WORK PERIOD 12:03  |  paul harris 11/06/07
  11.   Plan 12:03  |  Baruch 11/06/07
  12.   Pro in theory 12:05  |  Jasmine Murphy 11/06/07
  13.   PRO Peace Plan 12:08  |  Paul Usiskin 11/06/07
  14.   PRO but 12:09  |  Baruch Nili 11/06/07
  15.   CON - Geneva Agreement 12:13  |  Dr Alon 11/06/07
  16.   pro-but needs safeguards 12:15  |  nina 11/06/07
  17.   PRO: The link is interesting, but difficult to implement 12:21  |  Joe Average 11/06/07
  18.   The ONLY fair solution to this conflict !! 12:24  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/06/07
  19.   ONLY IF ALLLLL ARABS IN ISRAEL MOVE TO 12:25  |  amy 11/06/07
  20.   PRO-Definately 12:28  |  British Leftie 11/06/07
  21.   Bilateral Peace Plan 12:30  |  Yaakov 11/06/07
  22.   ABSTAIN 12:34  |  ted 11/06/07
  23.   My 2 cents - PRO 12:34  |  JW 11/06/07
  24.   Pro 12:35  |  Mark 11/06/07
  25.   realism 12:42  |  chaim 11/06/07
  26.   # 1 Shlomo from Tel Aviv 12:46  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/06/07
  27.   i am cont, it is bradley´s ans ayalon fantasy 12:48  |  vladimir 11/06/07
  28.   Referendum 12:51  |  Martin 11/06/07
  29.   dino, pals voted hamas, it is answer, ayalon and 12:56  |  vladimir 11/06/07
  30.   PRO and here`s why: 12:59  |  uncle moishy 11/06/07
  31.   Con - To Nina #17 13:00  |  Daniel 11/06/07
  32.   H50 Hani 13:01  |  ab 11/06/07
  33.   I am PRO 13:04  |  cfs 11/06/07
  34.   PRO 13:05  |  Shadi 11/06/07
  35.   ABSTAIN- ONLY RESPONSIBLE CHOICE 13:06  |  Mark Krass 11/06/07
  36.   Palestine Judenrein 13:06  |  Jeff Webber 11/06/07
  37.   PRO - Geneva Agreement 13:12  |  New Israeli 11/06/07
  38.   PRO 13:18  |  SD 11/06/07
  39.   PRO 13:23  |  Reuben Jacobs 11/06/07
  40.   PRO But how to get the Zionist extremists to buy into it? 13:28  |  David 11/06/07
  41.   #33, shadi, you are first arab here to support the 13:29  |  vladimir 11/06/07
  42.   oslo ARAFAToslo ARAFATdo you really support pro ? 13:31  |  paul harris 11/06/07
  43.   To Swiss (Dino) - I support this plan in principle. 13:31  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 11/06/07
  44.   #37, new israeli, 70% of support in israel 13:33  |  vladimir 11/06/07
  45.   Bad Deal 13:35  |  Barry 11/06/07
  46.   Sounds like a Plan to me 13:36  |  Ronnie Wolman 11/06/07
  47.   only like a Joke 13:36  |  Baruch 11/06/07
  48.   to Jeff Webber - Palestine Judrein 13:39  |  SD 11/06/07
  49.   ABSTAIN 13:44  |  christoph 11/06/07
  50.   Pro - with conditions 13:45  |  Nik Miller 11/06/07
  51.   CON 13:48  |  Johnny Weintraub 11/06/07
  52.   PRO, as there are no benefits with a `con` 13:48  |  JustMe 11/06/07
  53.   PRO!!!! with enthusiasm 13:50  |  Tom S 11/06/07
  54.   Con---Greater Vision Needed i.e Confederation 13:52  |  Brian Freund 11/06/07
  55.   PRO -- A reasonable outline 14:09  |  Cdn Ron 11/06/07
  56.   to indrajaya the CONT 14:10  |  Sol 11/06/07
  57.   Contra! 14:13  |  Jonathan S 11/06/07
  58.   PRO 14:16  |  S 11/06/07
  59.   PRO with tweaks... but DO IT NOW 14:36  |  Paul 11/06/07
  60.   # 56, SOL 14:36  |  indrajaya 11/06/07
  61.   Pro 14:40  |  Reuven 11/06/07
  62.   almost pro 14:41  |  Max Cohen 11/06/07
  63.   pro. the least worst solution 14:42  |  yonah 11/06/07
  64.   # 29 vladimir 14:46  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/06/07
  65.   PRO: Only plan that makes sense 14:51  |  Edward Witten 11/06/07
  66.   FLOGGING 14:55  |  GABE1 11/06/07
  67.   # 43 Shlomo from Tel Aviv 14:58  |  Swiss (Dino) 11/06/07
  68.   CON 14:58  |  Daniel 11/06/07
  69.   Pro 14:59  |  Jack 11/06/07
  70.   PRO 15:02  |  Rob 11/06/07
  71.   Abstain, since I don`t live in either place... 15:15  |  Lynn 11/06/07
  72.   This is just Barak`s Camp David Regurgitated 15:15  |  Tom 11/06/07
  73.   Another referendum 15:19  |  Gene 11/06/07
  74.   What suffering? 15:23  |  John Allen 11/06/07
  75.   Abstain, not sure 15:23  |  Inyaki 11/06/07
  76.   indrajaya 15:23  |  Lynn 11/06/07
  77.   PRO I am for this plan with serious reservations 15:25  |  Ronnie Wolman 11/06/07
  78.   referendum PRO 15:25  |  colman klein 11/06/07
  79.   CON, but PRO the Saudi Peace Plan 15:26  |  Roger Bannister 11/06/07
  80.   PRO: but I`m not Israeli or Palestinian 15:26  |  Uptoyou Lotreally 11/06/07
  81.   ABSTAIN - EVERYTHING ELSE IS GOOD EXCEPT FOR JERUSALEM????? 15:28  |  Nicole 11/06/07
  82.   PRO - The Best We Can Hope For 15:29  |  Jane 11/06/07
  83.   To 68 Daniel 15:35  |  Another Daniel 11/06/07
  84.   PRO, and the Geneva Accords even better 15:41  |  Tosefta 11/06/07
  85.   Why Jew Free 15:43  |  Ethan 11/06/07
  86.