Without hope for a solution, violence will go on. The two peoples will push each other into anabyss of destruction and bereavement. Life will be hell.
A new beginning is needed, a new step towards a solution that will allow both sides to live anormal life in peace and security.
President Bush’s speech did not contribute much to the search for a solution, but it containedone positive component, on which all parties – the Palestinians themselves, Israel, theUnited States, Europe and the UN – now agree: the proposal to hold free elections for thePalestinian Authority as soon as possible.
Although President Bush put this proposal at the forefront of his demands his speech wasaccepted enthusiastically by the Sharon government and the majority of the Israeli people.
If all Palestinian parties are allowed to take part in the elections, all of them – even Hamas –will have a strong motive to halt attacks, so as not to sabotage the elections. This can beassured by direct negotiations between the Palestinian Authority and all the parties.
Therefore, we call upon the Government of Israel to take all the necessary steps to enable thePalestinian people to hold free and fair elections, without coercion, pressure or threats .
For this purpose, the following conditions must be met:
Freedom of Movement:
There can be no free elections if the candidates and voters cannot move freely inside the townsand between them.
Freedom of Association:
There can be no free elections if the public is not able to meet freely, to set up and maintainpolitical parties and to move freely from place to place.
Freedom of Expression:
There can be no free elections if candidates and voters are not able to voice their opinions,hold debates and conduct publicity campaigns.
Therefore, the Government of Israel must order the IDF to withdraw from all Palestinianterritories and to remove the checkpoints, closures and sieges within the towns and villagesand between them.
Jerusalem:
Under the Oslo agreements, the inhabitants of Jerusalem have the right to vote and to beelected to all institutions of the Palestinian Authority. This right was exercised at thelast elections. The Israeli Government must make all necessary arrangements for thispurpose, such as allowing candidates to move freely between Jerusalem and the Palestinianterritories and inside East Jerusalem itself, to set up political groups and to conductcampaigns.
Safe Passage:
For election purposes, the Wrest Bank and the Gaza Strip constitute one unit. Therefore, thesafe passages provided for in the Oslo agreements must be opened.
The Chairman:
In free, democratic elections, every citizen has the right to be a candidate for any post.This, of course, applies also to the citizen Yasser Arafat. If Arafat is again elected aschairman, he will be the sole legitimate address for any peace negotiation.
We call upon the Government of Israel to declare publicly that it will respect the wish of thePalestinian people, as expressed in the elections, and negotiate with the elected leader –whoever he will be.
International Monitors:
In order to assure that the elections will be fair and free of any coercion, pressure andthreats, there is a need for credible, neutral, international monitors, like those whooversaw the last election, headed at the time by former President Jimmy Carter. This time,too, it is appropriate that the monitors will be headed by a credible figure ofinternationally acknowledged stature, such as Nelson MANDELA, Bishop TUTU or Jimmy CARTER.
International Force:
In order to safeguard security, an international peace force should be deployed in thePalestinian territories after the withdrawal of the IDF. Such a force should be appointed bythe United Nations and be composed of soldiers from countries that enjoy the trust of bothsides, such as Sweden, Denmark and Holland, for example.
We call upon the international community to take this task upon itself, in order to put an end tothe vicious bloody cycle and restore hope to the Israeli and the Palestinian people.
The bloodshed has destroyed the mutual trust between the two peoples. New elections withinthe Palestinian community can make an important contribution to the restoration of thistrust and open a new page for negotiations, based upon the principle now accepted by PresidentBush: “Two States for Two Peoples”.
An Israeli decision to make possible free and democratic elections in the Palestinianterritories, by withdrawing the IDF and removing the hallmarks of occupation, will alsoimprove Israel’s position, which has been severely damaged in the wake of the IDF incursionsin world public opinion,
Therefore, democratic elections are important, but –
There can be no democracy under occupation!
GUSH SHALOM