Three-state interim peace – S. C. Yuter

 

 

 

An agreement between Fatah and Hamas unifying Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza remains elusive, and a peace deal taking into account the realities of Palestinian politics has yet to be offered, leaving the region in limbo.

The status quo denies Gaza the chance to develop and enjoy the same economic peace strategy at work in the West Bank, just as billions in donor money remain unused for projects in Gaza stymied by the ongoing blockade.

There is a way, however, to turn the status quo into the first step of a peace deal in the form of a three-state interim peace. The formula allows each of the three governments to focus on the development of its own economy, at the same time providing secured links between regions for economic cooperation.

The three-state interim peace begins with a Hamas-controlled nonmilitarized state in Gaza supported by an international Gaza free port controlled by the administering and policing US-led Multinational Force and Observers – (MFO) which supervises Egypt-Israel peace in the Sinai – to securely import and export goods and people between Gaza and the world.

In the West Bank, a Fatah-controlled non-militarized temporary state would be founded, both existing alongside Israel in peace, security and growing economic cooperation.

The plan would include a 10-year period to establish a final unified compacted West Bank-Gaza Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The Fatah-controlled state would initially have temporary borders in about 60 percent of the West Bank based on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent offer of an “interim deal,” with the separation barrier enclosing all the large settlements as the border.

The issues of Jerusalem and refugees would be postponed until after the West Bank Palestinian state was formed. Under Netanyahu’s plan, Israel would maintain control over the Palestinian state’s eastern and western borders, Jerusalem and water sources. Israel would lease the Jordan Valley for 40 years and leave Israeli army bases at the entrances of Palestinian cities.

This plan is unorthodox. A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeina on December 27, rejected outright the possibility of an interim peace deal saying the matter of occupied Jerusalem and refugees had to be resolved and could not be deferred to a later date. And Abbas opposes an interim West Bank agreement for fear it would become permanent. Thus, this temporary West Bank state may have to await new Fatah leaders.

However, it would mean that Hamas can begin the Palestinian state in Gaza supported by the international community because it is based on Hamas’s offer of a 10-year hudna (truce).

Incentives for opening the port would be an end to the blockade and mass job opportunities for Gaza residents. Benefits would extend to the West Bank with a sunken road ensuring the flow of goods and people between the areas and guaranteed jobs for West Bankers at the port’s building sites.

The international port would be established by a Port Mefta (Middle East free trade area) Treaty.

Negotiations to finalize the treaty would be between the MFO and the PLO (including Hamas) and the MFO and Israel. The final treaty then would be open for accession by all countries whose companies want to do business in the area. There is no need for treaty negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel. But the treaty would be subject to an earlier Hamas-Fatah unity agreement under which Hamas would continue to govern and police the Gaza Strip and Fatah the West Bank via the Palestinian Authority.

After years of consolidating power in Gaza, Hamas might accept a permanent Port Mefta and its extension to most of the former settlement Gush Katif area, with full employment of Gaza’s workers provided by construction of Mefta plus manning the administrative buildings, consulates, desalination plant, hotels, factories, casinos, stores and duty- and tax-free shops.

S. C. Yuter is the author of “New U.S. Foreign Policy” (Expedited Publishing Co. 2008).

 

Maan News Agency: Three-state interim peace – S. C. Yuter.

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