Citizens Proposal for a Border between Israel and Palestine
  • Home
    • Page 2
  • About
  • General Issues
    • Access
    • Culture and Identity
    • Land Transfer
    • Right of Return
    • Gaza
    • Security
    • Jerusalem
    • Other Areas of Joint Administration
    • Jewish Settlers: Those Who Return and Those Who Remain within Palestine
    • Arab Communities within Israel
    • Legal Protections, Human Rights and the International Community
  • Maps
    • Overview Map
    • Northern West Bank
    • North Jerusalem
    • Jerusalem -- Eastern Areas of Focus
    • Ma’ale Adumim, E-1 and Access
    • South Jerusalem
    • Southern West Bank
    • Gaza and its Future Development
    • Conclusion
  • Position Statements
    • 2011 >
      • Har Homa C
      • Giv’at Hamatos
      • The Question of Recognizing Israel as a Jewish State
      • Let Us Prepare for Two States
      • Can Palestinians Recognize Israel’s “Jewish Character”?
      • Next Steps: Negotiating an Initial Border
      • Etzion Bloc Expansion: Israeli Overreaching
      • Israel’s Tussle with Europe
    • 2012 >
      • Time to Negotiate the Northern and Southern Sectors of the Israeli-West Bank Border
      • President Peres and Dr. Ashrawi: Thank You for Staying on Track
      • Playing the Victim Card Will Not Bring Peace
      • Negotiations By the Parties
      • The World Should Help the Palestinian Hunger Striker
      • ...and only afterwards move to discuss the topic of Jerusalem
      • A Question of Accountability
      • Israel Twisting in the Wind
      • Netanyahu: Too Big for His Britches
      • Netanyahu's "Israeli Comfort"
      • How Shaul Mofaz Can Jump-Start the Peace Process
      • Netanyahu on the Brink
      • Time for Taking Stock
      • Israel in Wonderland
      • Whatever Happened to the Quartet?
      • The Palestinians Want to Negotiate
      • A Time for Hope and a Call for Restraint
      • Israel Can Win in Gaza, But Not Now
      • Congratulations to the New State of Palestine!
      • Security and Borders: Both Required for Peace
    • 2013 >
      • It Is Up to Israel to Restart Peace Negotiations
      • Israel and Palestine: Changing the Terms of Agreement
      • The Knesset Bill to Increase the Number of Women that Elect the Chief Rabbis Is Important for Jewish Women
      • Proposal on Governance of the Holy Basin
      • Time for Netanyahu to Reach Across the Aisle
      • Tzipi Livni's Challenge
      • Women Should Be Free to Pray at the Wailing Wall
      • Proposed Highway through the Jordan Valley Will Backfire on Israel
    • 2014 >
      • Secretary Kerry, Please Beware of Israel’s Stalling Tactics
      • A Proposal on the Issue of Palestinian Recognition of Israel as a Jewish State
      • Proposed “Jewish State” Law a Threat to Israel’s Democracy
      • Journaling: Hope and Despair - Seven Weeks In
      • Netanyahu's War
    • 2015 >
      • We Should Applaud Herzog and Livni for Reclaiming Zionism
      • The Next Israeli Government
      • West Bank Citizenry and Receipt of Individuals of Palestinian Origin
      • What Next for Israel?
      • Palestinian statehood
      • Mischief in the Trade Legislation would Hinder Progress
      • What Next for America?
      • Could American Firms Choose to Gradually Disinvest from Israel?
      • Boycotting Israel is not anti-Semitism
    • 2016 >
      • Isaac Herzog's Diplomatic Initiative: Can This Detour Be Reframed Into a Road to Two States?
      • The Choice of Friedman as Envoy to Israel Is a Challenge to the Soul of American Judaism
      • America’s Abstention at the UN: Well Played!
      • Lapid: A New Leader for Israel?
    • 2017 >
      • Outcomes of SC Resolution 2334
      • Release the Tapes of the Noni Affair
      • Yair Lapid: A Strong Leader for a Secure Israel
      • Bill to Annex E-1: A Knife in the Heart of the Two-State Solution
      • Thus Endeth the Jewish State
      • CP Suspending Operation
    • 2019 >
      • Return to Two States
      • ​Benny Gantz Can Do Better than Pander to the Settlers
      • The Joint List Should Join the Government
      • ​Israel Must Not Annex the Jordan Valley
    • 2020 >
      • Israel's Moment of Opportunity
      • Trump’s Unfair Middle East Plan Leaves Nothing to Negotiate
      • Democracy in Serious Trouble
      • One Fateful Week in February 2020
    • 2023 >
      • Open Letter to the Women of Israel
      • If we can't see Gaza's dead children's eyes, can we see children at all?
      • Two States: The Only Solution
      • Justice in the Middle East Requires Real Change
    • 2024
  • Resources
  • About the Authors

Access

This proposal consistently approaches the borders issue with the goal to provide viable access—the free flow of people and goods—for both Palestinians and Jews. It is our hope that if this border is adopted, that east–west flow between settlements and Israel will continue, and north–south flow between Jerusalem and Bethlehem will be in the form of vibrant life and trade. It is understood that even after a Palestinian state is established and the border is negotiated and settled, there will still need to be ongoing negotiation between the two nations to manage the border and preserve access. 

We fully endorse the concept that women will need to be regularly consulted on what may or may not be occurring in their nation or in their neighboring nation. Our belief and experience has shown us that when considering points of conflict, a more feminine perspective can often result in meaningful solutions which, more often than not, can win the respect of others. To regulate access across various segments of the border, we suggest that Border Councils be set up, with all or the majority of their members being women, who represent Israel, Palestine, and (in some cases) the world community. We suggest that the laws governing such Border Councils prescribe a democratic selection process, so that their membership would not be dominated by political appointees and would include input from residents on both sides of the border. These Border Councils would be given certain powers to make policy and to regulate the flow of people and goods across borders, consistent with the signed agreements between the two nations.

We are fully aware that many Palestinian communities have been divided, even physically, and can only apologize that the world community is largely unaware of those specific communities. Simple research will take the average reader to places such as Al-Walaja. This community is a poignant example of what can go wrong between two peoples. Over the course of this conflict, one can find many such examples. But, sadly, what we are not seeing is movement towards negotiations to resolve such divisions.

There are many people across the Middle East and throughout the world who would have wished by now that Palestinians and Jews would be having meaningful dialogue, by which they would have found ways to respect the other and to be respected by the other. This border cannot cause people to offer or feel respect, but it can be a starting point towards the day when new citizens of these nations yet to be born will feel hope, gratitude, and appreciation. We are not naïve about this. We understand that both sides must work at fostering respect, and that it is the obligation of the nations and citizens of these nations to continually reach out to the other. 

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