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Rabbi Menachem Froman of the West Bank settlement of Tekoa. (AP)
Last update - 09:09 04/02/2008
W. Bank rabbi, Palestinian reporter present PM, Hamas draft truce
By Yair Ettinger, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: hamas, gaza, Menachem Froman 

Israelis and Palestinians involved in interfaith contacts recently drafted a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The document, whose implementation includes the release of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, was submitted to the cabinet and to the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip.

Rabbi Menachem Froman of the West Bank settlement of Tekoa has for years been involved in interfaith dialogue toward Israeli-Palestinians peace. For several months he has been working closely with Khaled Amayreh, a Hebron-area journalist who is close to Hamas.

"Our proposal was presented to the highest political echelon in the Hamas government in Gaza and gained 100-percent approval," Amayreh told Haaretz Sunday, while refusing to name the government officials. Froman said the document was presented to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who has yet to respond to it.
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Even if the attempt turns out to be merely an academic exercise, say Froman and Amayreh, its elements could be used by the Jerusalem and Gaza governments. It does not, for example, include the recognition by Hamas of the State of Israel, instead "recognizing that there are Jews living in the Holy Land," according to Froman.

The Hebrew and Arabic document contains verses from the Koran and the Bible and states, "God is the greatest of all and He alone can bring an end to the problems between the noble Palestinian people and the distinguished Jewish people in the Holy Land."

The proposal calls for Israel to lift its sanctions on the Gaza Strip, permit economic relations between Gaza and the outside world and open all border crossings. The Israel Defense Forces would end "all hostile activities toward the Gaza Strip, including targeted assassinations, the setting of ambushes, aerial bombardments and all penetrations into Gazan territory, in addition to ending the arrest, detention and persecution of Palestinians in the Strip."

The Palestinians would be obligated "to take all the necessary steps to completely end the attacks against Israel," including stopping "indefinitely all rocket attacks on Israel," assaults "on Israeli civilians and soldiers" and "to impose a cease-fire on all groups, factions and individuals operating in the Strip."

Related articles:
  • Hamas policy: Escalation to force Israel into cease-fire in Gaza
  • Hamas no-shows at interfaith meeting in West Jerusalem
  • Interfaith parley ends with calls for concern

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      1.   draft 04:01  |  Shmuelshachor 04/02/08
      2.   Khaled - Congratulations 06:04  |  Jane 04/02/08
      3.   DO IT NOW 06:31  |  Merle 04/02/08
      4.   Mad Max 06:45  |  Greg Temple 04/02/08
      5.   Arab agreements not worth the paper they`re written on 08:06  |  Gili 04/02/08
      6.   Realism, humanism or politics. 08:07  |  Harold Lane 04/02/08
      7.   A G-dly proposal 08:33  |  Honi 04/02/08
      8.   Khaled Amaryah 08:47  |  Reid 04/02/08
      9.   may God bless and protect the good rabbi... 09:50  |  eric 04/02/08
      10.   Israel is not interested in peace 10:26  |  Natallie Durson 04/02/08
      11.   Israeli government doesn`t want truce. 10:31  |  Michael 04/02/08
      12.   HAMAS/PA MUST BE DESTROYED!RETAKE GAZA,W.BANK,SECURE JEWSH CITIES 10:33  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 04/02/08
      13.   MICHAEL& DURSON in denial.NO PEACE EVER is the Hamas Charter 10:57  |  PETER SM 04/02/08
      14.   didn`t hamas say it would agree to the treaty? 11:45  |  saul a. readner 04/02/08
      15.   No way forward except this one 12:01  |  Khalil Abo Mohammad 04/02/08
      16.   that`s not a peace treaty - 2. try 12:06  |  scallywag 04/02/08
      17.   I agree with yor comments Natallie Durson 12:06  |  Khalil Abo Mohammad 04/02/08
      18.   Dear Khaled, long time no see! 12:26  |  Khalil Ishabib 04/02/08
      19.   no.9...eric,,,, good rabbi...? 13:41  |  ravi 04/02/08
      20.   Kudos to these two individuals 14:12  |  Johnboy 04/02/08
      21.   This Is The First Bit of Good News 14:20  |  Yaakov Sullivan 04/02/08
      22.   Rav Froman + Khaled! Great Shidduch! 14:32  |  ZSJ 04/02/08
      23.   The US wont allow this. 14:33  |  Paulo 04/02/08
      24.   ANY TRY IS A GOOD TRY 15:04  |  NEIL GOLAN 04/02/08
      25.   Good step forward,but (15)Khalil Abo Mohammed,reparation also! 15:35  |  lakshmi 04/02/08
      26.   Now, now Peter SM, lets get realistic 15:37  |  Yaakov Sullivan 04/02/08
      27.   A previous suggestion by Hamas, and should now be improved 15:58  |  Tosefta 04/02/08
      28.   khalil abo mohammad 16:03  |  scallywag 04/02/08
      29.   khalil ishabib 16:07  |  scallywag 04/02/08
      30.   THE LEFTY ARAB LOVING RABBI IS AT IT AGAIN! 16:16  |  Avraham 04/02/08
      31.   proposal is fair to a point. however, w.o. 16:21  |  bozhidar bob balkas 04/02/08
      32.   what a naive fool. let him count his beads useless otherwise 16:34  |  ralph 04/02/08
      33.   Abe Frohman, sausage king of Chicago at it again 16:50  |  Bueller? Bueller? 04/02/08
      34.   #15 Khalli Abo Mohammad 16:55  |  IL supporter 04/02/08
      35.   To Yaakov Sullivan 16:58  |  Joe Verbanic 04/02/08
      36.   THE PROBLEM ARE NOT THE JEWS, BUT THE ZIONISTS 17:26  |  TrippleJump 04/02/08
      37.   Problem: After Zionists are gone the Jihadis will still be there 17:43  |  QuadrupleJump 04/02/08
      38.   Joe Verbanic and his tehological parsing 17:48  |  Yaakov Sullivan 04/02/08
      39.   To Yaakov Sullivan 18:02  |  Joe Verbanic 04/02/08
      40.   Mr. Verbanic I suspect that you are the christian 18:16  |  Yaakov Sullivan 04/02/08
      41.   Perhaps it`s Altzheimer`s? 18:17  |  Mark Lincoln 04/02/08
      42.   It is good to see some honest effort made 18:25  |  Mark Lincoln 04/02/08
      43.   You know your system is broken... 20:30  |  Pssd Off American 04/02/08
      44.   Wisdom for Slowman the lazy bum 20:32  |  Yair Ettinger 04/02/08
      45.   Open letter to Khaled Amryeh,you`re a decent person& a brilliant 20:53  |  lakshmi 04/02/08
      46.   Very fine analysis (Mark Lincoln #41) 21:13  |  Tosefta 04/02/08
      47.   My issues with the responses 21:24  |  Israeli 04/02/08
      48.   "SULLIVAN"?its not Israel that says NO peace &ALL belongs to them 21:47  |  PETER SM 04/02/08
      49.   Peter SM on his blathreing nonsense 22:09  |  Yaakov Sullivan 04/02/08
      50.   It`s interesting 22:14  |  V 04/02/08
      51.   #46 Israeli 22:18  |  Jim 04/02/08
      52.   Mr. Verbanic, Jews for Jesus are NOT Christian 23:11  |  Yaakov Sullivan 04/02/08
      53.   The solution for Israeli- Palestinia problem 23:18  |  Yaakov Sullivan 04/02/08
      54.   #10 Natalie Durson 23:33  |  Jim 04/02/08
      55.   #53 Sullivan and the lies continue - not one on his list is true 23:47  |  not messyantic 04/02/08
      56.   Nice Try, the false sullivan crawls out from his rock #53 23:51  |  Yaakov Sullivan 04/02/08
      57.   on Khalid Amayreh 23:55  |  Aviv 04/02/08
      58.   Not much interest in peace ideas by the rabid zionists 00:12  |  Labhras 05/02/08
      59.   #40 The same old fake sullivan at his best 00:27  |  Yaakov Sullivan 05/02/08
      60.   "tehological" fake sullivan at his best 00:36  |  Yaakov Sullivan 05/02/08
      61.   As laksmi I say let israel pay for israel and Jewish mistakes 00:44  |  Yaakov Sullivan 05/02/08
      62.   to yakoov Sullivan 00:53  |  Uday 05/02/08
      63.   SULLIVAN.ENTRENCHED occupation"?Gaza is free to Qassems Israelis. 01:09  |  PETER SM 05/02/08
      64.   SULLIVAN.What`s wrong with the word PEACE?other than your desire 01:59  |  PETER SM 05/02/08
      65.   "AVIV"?? Clear that you have NOT read too many of Khaleds posts 02:05  |  PETER SM 05/02/08
      66.   Mark LIncoln # 41 Excellent post! 02:29  |  American in NY 05/02/08
      67.   RABBI FROMAN 02:47  |  LEN WOL 05/02/08
      68.   LABRAHAS where does the elected Govt.of Palestine say PEACE?? 03:34  |  PETER SM 05/02/08
      69.   M LINCOLN.The Hamas Hudna Hoodwink.By Steve Schippert 04:09  |  PETER SM 05/02/08
      70.   A tree is planted in the west bank 06:35  |  allang 05/02/08
      71.