Israeli opposition presents peace plan
Israel’s opposition Labour Party will offer the Palestinians parts of Jerusalem and joint administration of disputed holy sites if it wins next month’s general election.
It is most explicit programme of compromise laid out before an election by a major Israeli party.
As prime minister, party chief Amram Mitzna would immediately withdraw from the Gaza Strip without preconditions and resume peace talks with the Palestinians, the programme says.
If there is no agreement after a year, Israel will withdraw from considerable parts of the West Bank and draw its own ”security border.”
Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat said Labour’s plans were a “step in the right direction.”
“I hope they will cut the long story short and start telling the Israeli people that the road to peace is to end the occupation and withdraw,” Erekat said.
With elections on January 28, Labour continues to trail Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s hawkish Likud Party.
However, polls published today indicated that Likud was losing some ground because of a corruption scandal involving allegations of bribery in internal party elections.
The new Labour platform was adopted yesterday after weeks of discussions. It marked the first time the party addressed in detail how it plans to end the conflict with the Palestinians, especially on the explosive issue of Jerusalem.
Mitzna’s program says that in a peace deal, Arab neighbourhoods of Jerusalem should fall under Palestinian rule and Jewish areas should remain with Israel.
The key disputed holy site, the Al Aqsa Mosque compound or Temple Mount, should come either under joint administration or be governed in another mutually acceptable arrangement, said party spokesman Maya Ben-Gal.
Labour would also redirect almost £2 billion in funding for Jewish settlements to poor communities in Israel.
The Labour platform does not give details on the scope of its proposed West Bank withdrawal, in the event that peace talks fail.
