Geneva Initiative Israeli-Palestinian meeting – Joint statement/ Non-UN document

Further to a joint Geneva Initiative Israeli-Palestinian meeting on Friday, December 8^th, the following statement was released by both sides:

Joint Statement

The only way to resolve the conflict between the two peoples is through political and agreed-upon means.  As has been proven in the past, limited, unilateral, or violent actions will not bring about the end of the conflict.

Only a political solution will serve the real interests of the two sides, and the only way to achieve a political solution is through negotiations.

We call upon the leaderships of both sides to take practical steps to ensure the continuation of the cease-fire and its expansion to include the West Bank.  Both sides must seek to bring about a significant improvement in the daily life of ordinary citizens, including their freedom of movement.

We urge all relevant parties to do their utmost in order to bring about the immediate release of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit as well as the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, including ministers and members of the Legislative Council.

We expect from the leaderships of both sides, in parallel to ensuring the tranquility, to commence negotiations aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement.  In order to ensure the success of the negotiations, both sides should agree in advance on the agenda for discussions and on the parameters of the future agreement.

We welcome the recommendations contained in the Iraq Study Group Report, and support the immediate opening of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians along the lines outlined in the Report.  We call upon the international community, and first and foremost on the members of the Quartet, to adopt the recommendations and work toward their implementation.

We reiterate that the goals of negotiations between the two sides must include the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel on the basis of the 1967 borders as stipulated by the Arab Peace Initiative, President Bush Vision and the Geneva Initiative.

[To read about the meeting from the Media click here]

Israeli Participants:

MK Ephraim Sneh– Deputy Minister of Defense – Labor

MK Yossi Beilin– Chairman of the Meretz Party

MK Raleb Magadlah– Labor

MK Collette Avital- Labor

MK Haim Oron– Meretz

Gadi Baltiansky– Director General, Geneva Initiative Tel Aviv

Dr. Menachem Klein– Lecturer at Bar Ilan University. Expert on Jerusalem.

Shlomo Brom– Brigadier General (Res.). Former Deputy Commander of the IDF Strategic Planning Division.

Gideon Sheffer– Gen. (Res.). Former Head of IDF Manpower Division and former Director of the National Security Council.

Shaul Arieli– Colonol (Res.) Former military commander of the Gaza Strip.  Former Head of Peace Administration under the Barak Government.

Dror Sternschuss– Public Relations Executive.

Palestinian Participants:

Yasser Abed Rabbo– PLO Executive Committee Member, Former Minister of Culture and Information.

Qadoura Fares– Former Minister and PLC Member, Fattah, Ramallah district, Former detainee.

Fouad Qockali– Fattah Member of Parliament.  

Elias Zananiri– Director General, Geneva Initiative, Ramallah (PPC)

Dr Faisel Awoartany– Lecturer, Bir Zeit University.

Prof. Nazmi Al Ju'beh– Jerusalem Expert. Director RIWAQ, Bir Zeit Univerty.

Abdel-Khader Al Husaini– Director of the "Faysel Husaini Foundation"

Saman Khouri– Peace activist.