There is little chance that Israelis and Palestinians will share the same interpretation of the history of the land and the conflict between its peoples and both have a right to impart their version of history through their textbooks.
OK, Binyamin Netanyahu said the magic words “Palestinian state,” now what? I want to give our prime minister the benefit of doubt and say that he even meant it; at least that is what he told US President Barack Obama. Where do we go from here? How do those words become transformed into reality? Let’s try to imagine.
This issue needs leadership, ingenuity, creativeness, boldness and determination. This is what we expect from the Obama Administration. We don’t want more of the same. We want and need a real change. This is the moment for making history.
Gershon Baskin admits that chances for his peace plan are close to zero, and added that unless affirmative action is taken internationally, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will rumble on indefinitely.
Gershon Baskin recommends that the U.N. Security Council be fully authorized to use all its tools to bring about Israeli withdrawal. The implementation mechanism could be the empowerment of the Quartet. Israel must then immediately remove outposts and stop settlement expansion. The Council would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the two States and, recognizing the importance of the Holy Sites, place them under international guardianship. The Council would also announce its readiness to deploy peacekeeping forces. Once that plan was put into place, the Provisional Government of the State of Palestine would set a date for new elections, and Hamas would either recognize the State or be removed from relevance by the Palestinian people.
Gershon Baskin is part of a Global Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations Proposed to Provide Greater Support for Two-State Solution
It is time for us to recognise that Jerusalem can and will be the capitals of two states—Israel and Palestine.
Gershon Baskin debated Caroline Glick on Israel Broadcasting Authority Close Up program with Leah Zinder & Steve Leibowitz.
The world is expecting something big from this administration. The word “change” has to be made into something real. Old tactics and strategies will simply not work. This conflict is too small to continue to endanger the security and the stability of the world and its economy as well.