The peace plan drawn up by the Head of Community Diplomacy, Josep Borrell, To try to end the historic spiral of violence between Israelis and Palestinians beyond the current war in Gaza, it focuses on holding a peace conference “soon” and is divided into twelve precise steps.
This unofficial document, accessed by EFE, describes these practical steps to restart the Middle East peace process. Borrell himself stated this Monday that we need to “talk more concretely about a process for a two-state solution” because “the way of naming it is important.”
The aim of Borrell's proposal is to address the conflict and occupation that preceded the war in Gaza in order to prepare for a comprehensive peace. These are the general guidelines of your roadmap:
A comprehensive peace process
1. Recalls that it is crucial and urgent for the European Union to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza, the war and the terrorist attacks. To do this, it must prepare for the future security of Israelis and Palestinians, the stabilization of the occupied territories and the early restoration and administration of the Gaza Strip. Such preparation for the post-war period inevitably includes an initiative to end long-standing conflicts in the region.
2. Points out that it is necessary to promote a comprehensive peace as soon as possible, since without a peace process to achieve the two-state solution, any governance and security mechanism established in Gaza or elsewhere will be seen as an extension of the occupation and a denial of Palestinian rights and will therefore create further security risks for the region and Europe.
3. Ensure that there is no credible comprehensive solution other than that of an independent Palestinian state existing side by side with Israel in peace and security, with full normalization and substantial development of security and economic cooperation between Israel, Palestine and the region , including the major Arab states.
4. It is unrealistic to assume, he adds, that Israelis and Palestinians – the latter represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) – will take part in bilateral peace negotiations in the near future without strong international participation. The Palestinians will need a revitalized PLO to present a political alternative to Hamas, while the Israelis must find the political will to begin meaningful negotiations on a two-state solution, he says.
It is therefore the responsibility of external actors such as the EU to pave the way for a comprehensive peace.
A preparatory peace conference
5. Recommends the organization of a preparatory peace conference based on the results of the Peace Day Effort meeting co-organized on the sidelines of the last UN General Assembly by Borrell on behalf of the EU and Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the US League the Arab States and, if possible, together with the United States.
6. This conference should bring together foreign ministers and heads of relevant international organizations willing and able to contribute to a comprehensive regional peace, and these, in turn, should organize, almost simultaneously, separate meetings with each of the parties to the conflict who cannot be forced to to sit together.
7. The conference coordinators should present an initial draft framework for a peace plan and invite all interested States and international organizations to contribute to its future development, as well as an agenda for completion within one year.
Develop a peace plan
8. Recalls that the peace plan must combine and define in the most practical manner the key elements of a comprehensive peace between the parties to the conflict, respecting the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and building on previous international efforts.
9. Notes that an essential part of this peace plan should be the development of strong security guarantees for Israel and the future independent State of Palestine, conditional on the full mutual diplomatic recognition and integration of both Israel and Palestine in the region.
Commitment to conflicting parties and parallel efforts
10. The coordinators should consult with the parties to the conflict as much as possible, but will advance the work regardless of the unwillingness of one or other of the parties to the conflict to participate.
11. Once the plan is finalized, it must be proposed to the parties to the conflict. And at this moment, the states and international organizations involved in the process must determine the consequences that they expect for both parties if a compromise is reached or not.
12. And emphasizes that the development of the peace plan must be accompanied by parallel efforts, such as ending the current war, ensuring the restoration and reconstruction of Gaza and the affected communities in southern Israel, or strengthening the democratic legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority, among others.