Israelis and Palestinians alike need hope — and a plan

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The writers are the former prime minister of Israel and the former Palestinian foreign minister

On October 7 2023 an earth-shattering new chapter in the history of violent encounters between Palestinians and Israelis took place, launching the most devastating war in the history of our two peoples. Now, one year on from that horrific day, too many thousands of people have been killed on both sides. The Gaza Strip has been destroyed, most of its inhabitants have become refugees once again, there are now about 2mn homeless. More than 200,000 Israelis were also displaced, forced to leave their destroyed and burnt houses.

Although we have both held official roles serving our people over many years, our professional paths did not cross. But both of us were searching for a partner on the other side of this conflict who we could work with, in mutual respect, to find a breakthrough towards ending the war in Gaza, and begin renewed negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Our aspiration? An agreement that will put a final end to the violence between our two peoples. We believe that this will lead to the creation of a front of moderate states, including Saudi Arabia and additional Muslim countries, together with the state of Israel and the state of Palestine. This is the way to make our region more stable, more secure and more prosperous for all. 

In Israel and Palestine, there is a great propensity for destroying any politician who steps outside of comfortable consensus via extreme ridicule and criticism. During wartime, consensus means rallying around the flag and any swaying from absolute support of the war effort is likened to treason. Any suggestion of a radical change of course is viewed as capitulation or granting the other side victory.

But the true test of leadership is not blindly following public opinion and guiding your words by polls, but rather determining the best strategic path for your nation’s future and presenting it without fear. We, two former leaders who have served our people faithfully for decades, have come together with a shared vision and a proposal that challenges our tragic reality. We believe it has the potential to change our nations, our region and, in fact, the world.   

We begin with the very basics. The war in Gaza must end. The Israeli hostages held in Hamas captivity must be returned to their families. Israel will have to release the agreed number of Palestinian prisoners and must withdraw from Gaza. The Palestinians must create a new, responsible and legitimate entity there, which will not be composed of politicians from any of the Palestinian factions. It should be organically linked to the Palestinian Authority but independent enough to gain the acceptance of the Palestinian people, Arab neighbours and the international community.

A sustainable Israeli-Palestinian peace must be based on the existence of the states of Israel and Palestine, living side by side on the basis of the June 4 1967 borders. We agree that 4.4 per cent of the West Bank, where the main Israeli settlement blocs exist, including in the Jerusalem area, should be annexed to Israel in exchange for an equal size territory from within Israel that should be annexed to the state of Palestine. This is necessary to accommodate realities on the ground that are too difficult to reverse.

The heart of the conflict is Jerusalem. For this, we propose a plan that removes the Old City of Jerusalem, the centre of the religious sites, from the exclusive sovereign control of Israel and of Palestine. Instead it would be administered by a trusteeship of five states of which Israel and Palestine are part. While our plan addresses all of the core issues, it does not tackle all of the details. Instead, we agree on the contours that genuine Israeli-Palestinian peace must be based upon. In the not-too-distant future, a new generation of Israeli and Palestinian leaders must have the task of negotiating and transforming this vision into reality. 

As part of our commitment, we are now investing our time and effort to generate support for our proposal from the Israeli and Palestinian peoples and political leaders in the region and beyond. It is an unavoidable truth that this conflict must be resolved diplomatically if we are to create a course for a different tomorrow. In our minds, this is not just a document but a living vision of a different future for Israel, Palestine and the world. In a period of such frightening darkness, we choose to shine a light of hope on the path that our two peoples must now take.