If you have read my previously posted blogs about how there can be Middle East Peace, at least between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors, you know that I propose that two Peace Committees of ordinary citizens, self-appointed, should be formed on each side. Why? Govenrmental and other leaders in the area, and in the world, have totally failed to get the job done.

The two committees should each be started by a Palestinian and an Israeli who know each other, for communication purposes. Each committee should write its own list of solutions that would satisfy them, and then meet together to negotiate, bargain, trade and make deals until the plan is agreed upon. Then the two committees should jointly publicize their solution via the news media and the social media, followed by presenting the solution to the leaders of both sides. At that point, it would be difficult for those leaders to refuse to work with the solutions presented to them.

For security and safety purposes, the committee members should keep their efforts entirely secret and private until the job is done. Some of those who believe in continuing the violence and killing, may want to harm those who don’t.

Why should this Peace Committee process be done to make peace in the area? If it isn’t done, the two sides could continue to be miserable because of the lack of a solution, with revenge violence and killings going back and forth over the years, yes, even over the centuries and millenia. As Mahatma Ghandi said, “An eye for an eye leads to everyone being blind.” And, as Benjamin Franklin said, “There never was a good war or a bad peace.” Of course, it’s true that if you’re attacked, and a war results, it’s good to win that war. But, winning a war doesn’t mean that having a war was a good thing. And, winning one war may only guarantee more wars down the road. In every war, there are terrible losses of lives, horrible injuries, property destruction, and misery for people on both sides.

Yes, if you’re being attacked, you have the right and duty to defend yourself. But, wouldn’t it be better to stop the attacks?
Why not show the ultimate respect for relatives, friends and neighbors injured or killed, not by never-ending revenge-violence
back and forth, but by reaching a peace bargain that ends the violence?

Once there is a peacdeful solution in the area, the two sides can begin to travel to each other’s areas, trade, become acquainted and form friendships, and have safer, happier lives.

So, in case you, or someone you know, can help get the two Peace Committees started, below are some possible solutions for both sides to consider. A 10-Point Plan. There are many solution variations possible, and there could be issues not even mentioned here that also need solving:

1. Israel keeps its internationally recognized boundaries.
2. Palestine becomes a country that includes the West Bank and Gaza, with perhaps a 10-kilometer width band of land to connect the two areas to be contributed by Egypt to Palestine in exchange for a permanent crossing roadway from Israel to the Sinai to be equally managed and controlled by Egypt, Palestine, and Israel.
3. No Arab, Palestinian or Islamist, currently living in Israel, would be required to leave their home in Israel and have to leave Israel, based on this Peace Agreeemnt.
4. No Israeli, Jewish or not, currently living in the West Bank, would be required to leave their home in the West Bank and have to leave the West Bank, based on this Peace Agreemenet.
5. Within 30 days after leaders on both sides accept the solutions reached by the two citizen Peace Committees, Palestine would be a nation recognized by Israel, and Israel would be a nation recognized by Palestine.
6. Within 30 days after that joint recognition, all Israeli military or police would be withdrawn from the West Bank by Israel’s government, and all weaponry other than ordinary guns and rifles owned by individuals or families, both in Israel and in Palestine (which includes the West Bank and Gaza) would be taken into the secure control of the respective governments in Israel, and in Palestine, even if that government is a provisional governemnt awaiting elections. An International Committee acceptable to both sides shall be permitted to verify that all of this Paragraph 6 Agreement has been fulfilled.
7. Palestine will have the right to form their own Constitutional government.
8. Travel and trade agreements should be part of the solution, including access to and from Israel for Israeli citizens already living in the new Palestine, and travel by Palestinian citizens to and from areas considered as Holy Islamic areas in Jerusalem.
9. Palestinians, whether they or their deceased family memebers, who lost property seized or destroyed during previous wars whether during battles that led to the founding of Israel, or later, and provided that those property owners were not combatants in said wars, should receive compensation for those losses from Israel or agreed-upon international sources. Israelis with the same type of losses, should be similarly compensated by Palestine or agreed-upon international sources.
10. Both Israel and Palestine shall not be restricted from having their own military defense forces under their own control.

Well, I did my best. It’s up to Palestinian and Israeli citizens to form their self-appointed Peace Committees to do the job as they see fit.

Thank you for your attention to this Blog.
Your friendly problem solver,
Dr. Ed