The Geneva Initiative

The Geneva Initiative

http://www.geneva-accord.org/

The Geneva Initiative provides realistic and achievable solutions on all issues, based on previous official negotiations, international resolutions, the Quartet Roadmap, Clinton Parameters, Bush Vision, and Arab Peace Initiative.

In addition to presenting a detailed blueprint for Israeli-Palestinian peace, the GI aims to bring that moment of peace closer, by showing the way and preparing public opinion and leadership to be accepting of the real compromises required to solve the conflict.

The Geneva Initiative NGOs educate and campaign, both locally and internationally, that it is in the best interest of Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate directly in order to reach a realistic, dignified, and sustainable 2-state solution in which both peoples can build a brighter future, as is embodied in the model Geneva Accord.

The GI and our activities are designed to reinstill in the Israeli and Palestinian peoples the hope that it is possible to reach an agreement that will serve their respective national and personal interests and aspirations. We are committed to exposing each side's public to the message of the other – despite the technical and psychological barriers.

After a century of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, the Geneva Initiative offers a real and mutually agreed upon possibility for ending the conflict between the two sides and obtaining a mutually acceptable peace that guarantees the vital national interests of both sides.

The Accord Principles:

• End of conflict. End of all claims.
• Mutual recognition of Israeli and Palestinian right to two separate states.
• A final, agreed upon border.
• A comprehensive solution to the refugee problem.
• Large settlement blocks and most of the settlers are annexed to Israel, as part of a 1:1 land swap.
• Recognition of the Jewish neighborhoods in Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and recognition of the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.
• A demilitarized Palestinian state.
• A comprehensive and complete Palestinian commitment to fighting terrorism and incitement.
• An international verification group to oversee implementation.

Description

The Geneva Initiative is a model permanent status agreement between the State of Israel and the State of Palestine.

The accord presents a comprehensive and unequivocal solution to all issues vital to ensuring the end of the conflict. Adopting the agreement and implementing it would bring about a solution to the historical conflict, a new chapter in Israeli-Palestinian relations, and, most importantly, the realization of the national visions of both parties.

1. Mutual recognition:

As part of the accord, the Palestinians recognize the right of the Jewish people to their own state and recognize the State of Israel as their national home. Conversely, the Israelis recognize the Palestinian state as the national home of the Palestinian people.

2. Borders and settlements:

• The border marked on a detailed map is final and indisputable.
• According to the accord and maps, the extended borders of the State of Israel will include Jewish settlements currently beyond the Green Line, Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem, and territories with significance for security surrounding Ben Gurion International Airport. These territories will be annexed to Israel on agreement and will become inseparable from it.
• In return to the annexation of land beyond the 1967 border, Israel will hand over alternative land to the Palestinian, based on a 1:1 ratio. The lands annexed to the Palestinian State will be of equal quality and quantity.

3. Jerusalem:

• The parties shall have their mutually recognized capitals in the areas of Jerusalem under their respective sovereignty.
• The Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem will be under Israeli sovereignty, and the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem will be under Palestinian sovereignty.
• The parties will commit to safeguarding the character, holiness, and freedom of worship in the city.
• The parties view the Old City as one whole enjoying a unique character. Movement within the Old City shall be free and unimpeded subject to the provisions of this article and rules and regulations pertaining to the various holy sites.
• There shall be no digging, excavation, or construction on al-Haram al-Sharif / the Temple Mount, unless approved by the two parties.
• A visible color-coding scheme shall be used in the Old City to denote the sovereign areas of the respective Parties.
• Palestinian Jerusalemites who currently are permanent residents of Israel shall lose this status upon the transfer of authority to Palestine of those areas in which they reside.

4. International Supervision:

An Implementation and Verification Group (IVG) shall be established to facilitate, assist in, guarantee, monitor, and resolve disputes relating to the implementation of the agreement. As part of the IVG, a Multinational Force (MF) shall be established to provide security guarantees to the parties. To perform the functions specified in this agreement, the MF shall be deployed in the state of Palestine.

5. Refugees:

The agreement provides for the permanent and complete resolution of the Palestinian refugee problem, under which refugees will be entitled to compensation for their refugee status and for loss of property, and will have the right to return to the State of Palestine. The refugees could also elect to remain in their present host countries, or relocate to third countries, among them Israel, at the sovereign discretion of third countries.

6. Security:

Palestine and Israel shall each recognize and respect the other's right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from the threat or acts of war, terrorism and violence. Both sides shall prevent the formation of irregular forces or armed bands, and combat terrorism and incitement. Palestine shall be a non-militarized state, with a strong security force.

Who's Who

Reem Aboushi	Samir Abdallah	Fiha’ Abdel-Hadi	Wafa’ Abdel-Rahman
Director of the Palestinian Businesswomen’s Association (ASALA)	Minister of Planning and Labor	Women's rights activist, intellectual	Project Manager at MIFTAH
Hisham Abdel-Raziq	Salah-Edein Abdel-Shafi	Yasser Abed Rabbo	Ziad Abu-Ein
Former Minister for Prisoners Affairs and PLC member, former detainee	Director of the Gaza Community Health Program	Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, Head of the Palestinian Peace	Deputy Minister of Prisoners Affairs
Tawfiq Abu-Ghazaleh	Ashraf al Ajrami	Abdel-Qader Al-Husseini	Nazmi Al-Jubeh
Advocate	Minister of Prisoners Affairs	Director of the Faisal Husseini Foundation	Jerusalem expert, Director of RIWAQ, Former Professor at Bir Zeit University
Ghaith Al-Omari	Tayseer Arouri	Haidar Awadallah	Maha Awwad Abu-Shusheh
Legal advisor to the official negotiation teams in Camp David and Taba	Lecturer at Bir Ziet University, PLO Central Council Member	Palestinian People Party Political Bureau Member, Editor in Chief of Attareek	Businesswoman
Liana Bader	Terry Bullatah	Samih El-Abed	Na’eem El-Ashhab
Director of the Ministry of Culture, writer, filmmaker	School pricnipal, women's rights activist, former detainee	Former Minister of Planning	Writer and Political Analyst
Qadura Fares	Sameer Hleileh	Mohammed Huranni	Basel Jaber
Former Minister and PLC Member, Chairman of the Prisoner Club, Chairman of "Wa'ed," an organization promoting the	Chair of PALTRADE’s Board	PLC Member Fatah, Hebron district, Former detainee	Chair of the PA Reform Committee, Former Advisor to Nabil Sha’ath, Taba negotiator
Suheil Jad’oun	Marwan Jilani	Radi Jira’I	Samih Khalil
CEO The Commercial Bank of Palestine	Former PLO delegate to the UN Head of the Palestinian Students Association	Deputy Minister of Prisoners Affairs, Member of Palestinian Delegation to Madrid Conference	CEO Al-Mashreq Insurance Co.
Sam’an Khoury	Nabil Qassis	Saji Salameh	Iyad Sarraj
Director of the Peace and Democracy Forum	President of Bir Zeit University, Former Minister of Planning, Founder and Former Director of MAS Research Institute	General Director Ministry of Labor	Chair of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program
Ra’eda Taha	Saleem Tamari	Muneef Traish	Jamal Zaqout
Chair of Khalil Sikakini Cultural Center’s Board	Researcher and Lecturer at Bir Zeit University	Deputy Mayor of Al-Bireh	Advisor to PM Salam Fayyad, Former Director of the PA Office of Cabinet Coordination, Co-Director of FIDA, Gaza
Hikmat Zeid
Former Minister of Transportation, PLC member Fatah