By David Singer ——Bio and Archives--January 19, 2017
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"two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders,"The Joint Declaration shredded this objective by affirming:"that a negotiated solution with two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, is the only way to achieve enduring peace."The "two democratic states solution" in Resolution 2334 was replaced by a vague and nebulous "two state solution" in the Joint Declaration. Gone were secure and recognised boundaries.
"without delay a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions, the Madrid terms of reference, including the principle of land for peace, the Arab Peace Initiative and the Quartet Roadmap and an end to the Israeli occupation that began in 1967"The Joint Declaration more specifically calls for the resolution of:"all permanent status issues on the basis of United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973),"The Quartet Roadmap - so painstakingly put together in 2003 by President Bush calling for negotiations to create a democratic Palestinian State--and under which negotiations had been conducted since then - was unceremoniously dumped in Paris. This leaves no agreed negotiating framework under which to conduct any resumed negotiations.
"the importance of the ongoing efforts to advance the Arab Peace Initiative,"The Joint Declaration underscored:"the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002 as a comprehensive framework for the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict, thus contributing to regional peace and security."Israel had agreed to negotiate under the Quartet Roadmap but listed 14 reservations--one of which required:"The removal of references other than 242 and 338 (1397, the Saudi Initiative and the Arab Initiative adopted in Beirut). A settlement based upon the road map will be an autonomous settlement that derives its validity therefrom. The only possible reference should be to Resolutions 242 and 338, and then only as an outline for the conduct of future negotiations on a permanent settlement."Replacing the Quartet Roadmap with the Arab Peace Initiative guarantees no hope for the stalled negotiations to be resumed.
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David Singer is an Australian Lawyer, a Foundation Member of the International Analyst Network and Convenor of Jordan is Palestine International—an organization calling for sovereignty of the West Bank and Gaza to be allocated between Israel and Jordan as the two successor States to the Mandate for Palestine. Previous articles written by him can be found at: jordanispalestine.blogspot.com