French Peace Plan Would Require Palestinian Recognition of a Jewish State
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe offered Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a proposal on Thursday aimed at breaking the Israeli-Palestinian deadlock before the expected showdown at the UN General Assembly in September.
In a first for the wider international community, the French initiative incorporates the position that the goal of negotiations is “two states for two peoples,” not just “a two-state solution.”
The French proposal would revive the talks based on the following principles.The border issue would be discussed based on the 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, in keeping with U.S. President Barack Obama’s speech.
Security arrangements for both sides – Israel and the Palestinian state – would be negotiated. The negotiations would begin with a discussion on borders and security arrangements, while talks on the refugees and Jerusalem would be put off to a later date.