Monday Dec 10, 2007
Posted by Gidi Grinstein
In the aftermath of the Annapolis Summit, negotiations over a Permanent Status Agreement (PSA) are expected to continue apace. The current negotiations agenda over a PSA are comprised of several issues: borders and territorial arrangements, Jerusalem, refugees, security and the establishment of a Palestinian state. This agenda is unsuitable for the future challenges facing the two sides and doesn?t serve Israel's interests.
The current negotiations agenda is based on the agenda of the Lausanne Conciliation Commission (5/49) which convened after Israel's War of Independence. The Commission established that the issues of territories, refugees and the status of Jerusalem, were the key issues for the resolution of the Israeli-Arab conflict. This typology was endorsed and expanded by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 (11/67, 10/73 respectively), the 1978 Camp David Accords (9/78), the Madrid Peace Conference (10/91), the Oslo Process leading up to the Taba Talks (9/93, 1/01), as well as by non-governmental efforts such as the Geneva Initiative (10/03). The different drafts dealing with permanent status (Beilin Abu Mazen agreement, Ayalon-Nusseibeh, etc) were also based on this typology, as were the negotiation working groups for permanent status between 1999-2001.
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About this blog
A Link in the Chain
Founder of the prestigious Reut Institute, Gidi Grinstein, blogs about his vision for Israel and 21st century Zionism.
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Recent Comments
Roddy Frankel: Perhaps a worthwhile application of your think-tank is optimizing the negotiation process with the PA. Some questions that need to be asked: 1) What principles will define the movement of Arabs and Jews across borders, in both directions? 2) What principles will define land ownership, and citizenship, on both sides, for all religious groups? 3) What principles will define the protection of and access to public holy sites? I think you get the idea. These questions have been largely ignored in any public debates. Isn't it better to resolve these issues before borders are drawn?
Yosef - Israel: Your shallow hubris is simply stunning. Whatever you don't explain is either not important or doesn't exist! After Oslo we expect some humility, not more of the same simplistic "instant fix" solutions! NO system will help if there are no real leaders and no real direction.
Scott, Leeds,Yorkshire UK: I really feel for the people of Israel just now.
However as a distant observer ... based in the UK ... it is probably easy for me to make glib remarks when I do not have to suffer the indignities or experience the exigiencies of the Israelis.
What I would say is this ... stay strong ... do not give in.
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