Palestinians consider multistep plan toward two-state solution

Mahmoud Abbas with netanyahu

Uri Savir writes in Al Monitor, “At one point during the Oslo process, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres felt a breakthrough with the Palestinians was necessary in order to move forward. As a first step, Rabin and Peres decided to offer the PLO autonomous rule in Gaza and Jericho. If accepted, negotiations on the rest of the West Bank would follow suit. PLO leader Yasser Arafat agreed. The Oslo Declaration of Principles was signed on Sept. 13, 1993, in Washington, with Arafat de facto ruling Gaza and Jericho as of July 1994. The Israeli goal was to launch a peace process and to halt the first intifada, which began in 1987.”

“This same concept could be applied today, aiming to relaunch the peace process and prevent another intifada or another Gaza war. A senior PLO official close to President Mahmoud Abbas told Al-Monitor that Abbas would like the Palestinian Authority (PA) to take civilian control over Gaza along with many of the security responsibilities, especially at the border crossing points. The official said that given the catastrophic crisis in Gaza, a first political move to stabilize the Strip is necessary. He proposed a political process similar to that of Oslo, with Gaza first again. But this must be considered as a first step toward a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.”…

“A senior source close to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told Al-Monitor of Brussels’ great concerns about Gaza. The source said the EU is in close contact with Abbas and his entourage in order to rescue Gaza from a humanitarian catastrophe and begin a political process both in Gaza and the West Bank. The EU has also been in contact with US envoy Jason Greenblatt, who apparently has not ruled out cooperation with the EU on all issues related to Gaza.” (more…)