ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFEDERATION

1. ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFEDERATION www.aboutipc.org

2. UNDERLYING REQUIREMENTS • Palestinian government remains the same. • Palestinian institutions remain the same. • Palestinian government is in charge of Palestinian citizens.

3. UNDERLYING REQUIREMENTS • Israeli government remains the same. • Israeli institutions remain the same. • Israeli government is in charge of Israeli citizens.

4. CONFEDERATION GOVERNMENT • 300 local representatives. • Current demographics would lead to: • Approximately 180 Israelis. • Approximately 120 Palestinians.

5. CONFEDERATION LEGISLATION • THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS ARE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO PASS LEGISLATION • 55% of the Palestinians members must vote yes in order to pass the legislation. • 55% of the Israeli members must vote yes in order to pass the legislation. • The Palestinians government will be given a veto power. • The Israeli government will be given a veto power.

6. NATIONAL DIRECTOR AND VICE DIRECTOR • National director is in charge of the executive branch. • National director and vice director are elected as a team for 4 years. • The team must include a Palestinian and an Israeli. • Both are elected for 4 years and rotate after two years. • Confederation courts system – limited jurisdiction.

7. CONFEDERATION = SAFEGUARDS • Unreasonable legislation will not pass. • Governments will not veto reasonable legislation. • Protects the rights of the minority. • Now. • Into the future.

8. CONFEDERATION = FUTURE • Strong foundation for future relations. • Mechanism to grow. • Trustworthy system to solve issues. • Engages “the other side”. Does not isolate “the other side”.

9. CONFEDERATION IS NECESSARY. EVEN IF: • Status quo remains. • Two states are formed. • One state is formed.

10. $ REVENUESCONFEDERATION GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE REVENUES FROM THE FOLLOWING. • Joint economics zones • Governments participations • Local governments • International governments • International companies and foundations • Travel and Tourism

11. DIRECT ELECTIONS • Government will be elected through direct elections with private funds. • International organizations. • Creation of 300 districts. • Identifying an election date. • Identifying candidates for national director and vice-director.

12. DIRECT ELECTIONS • Government will be elected through direct elections with private funds. • Promoting local participation of local candidates. • Promoting public participation. • Holding an election on a specific date.

13. Budget For A Period of Approximately Two Years

14. What Kind of Legislation Both Governments are unlikely to Veto • Educational Task Force • Tolerance and Understanding • Discouragement of Hate Violence and Fanaticism • Accurate and Comprehensive History of Both nations

15. What Kind of Legislation Both Governments are unlikely to Veto • Common Emergency Tasks Force • Major public health and epidemics • Natural Disasters • Common Nuclear or military threats

16. What Kind of Legislation Both Governments are unlikely to Veto • Common hardship reduction task force • Removing unreasonable travel restrictions • Removing unreasonable economic, industrial or agricultural restrictions • Exchanging prisoners

17. What Kind of Legislation Both Governments are unlikely to Veto • Common foreign polices • Expanding relations with Arab or Western countries • Expanding flight routes throughout the middle east, Asia, Africa, Europe and the US. • Encouraging tourism and business developments • Creation of neutral passports to ease travel restrictions

18. What Kind of Legislation Both Governments are unlikely to Veto • Joint Economic Zones – JEZ • Safe haven – between the Israeli and Palestinian borders • Industry, Agriculture, Financial Centers, Airports, Hospitals, Universities and Civic Centers

19. ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFEDERATION Frequently Asked Questions

20. Q. Is this a kumbaya or naïve solution? • No. • Specific plan to create mechanism. • Not based on trust but interests. • Based on checks and balances.

21. Q. Would America and the world support the confederation? • Yes. • Creates stability. • Democracy not in conflict with world’s interest.

22. Q. Would a confederation interfere with the sovereignty of the Israeli or Palestinian State? • Yes. But… • Israeli and Palestinian governments have veto power. • Projects will only take place in cooperation with the Israeli and Palestinian governments. • Israeli and Palestinian governments have superior rights.

23. Q. How would the confederation enforce its laws? • Confederation may vote on: • Joint police force. • Joint court system for confederation issues only. • Enforcement subject to Israeli and Palestinian governments’ veto.

24. Q. Would a confederation increase tax burden on the population? • Joint economics projects • Governments participations • Local governments • International governments • International companies and foundations • Travel and Tourism

25. Q. What if the number of elected representatives does not accurately reflect the proportionate share of the population? • 55% of the Palestinians members must vote yes in order to pass the legislation. • 55% of the Israeli members must vote yes in order to pass the legislation. • The Palestinians government will be given a veto power. • The Israeli government will be given a veto power.

26. Q. How would you deal with the district that has both Palestinians and Israelis? • Representatives run as individuals to represent their own district. • Cross-voting is a possibility.

27. Q. Would candidates be intimidated from running? And would the public be intimidated from voting? • No. • A confederation does not conflict with the existing political structure. • Both Israelis and Palestinians have multiple parties and independent candidates. • There is no history of intimidation against public officials who ran on the platform of peace.

28. Q. How would the confederation solve difficult issues such as borders, right of return, settlements, and holy sites? • Confederation government creates a mechanism only. • Substantive resolution would be up to the representative subject to veto power of the Israeli and Palestinian governments.

29. Q. Would the confederation government be able to reduce violence? • Yes. • Creates dynamics of cooperation. • Process is balanced. • Process is mutual and not one-sided. • Will gain the support of both peoples. • Harder to derail 300 members. • History has proven that Arabs and Israelis have lived in peace inside the State of Israel.

30. Q. What effect do current political developments in Israel and Palestine have on the confederation plan? • Confederation is necessary regardless of the internal political developments in either state.

31. Q. What will happen to the Palestinian or Israeli army, if the confederation government develops? • All Palestinian and Israeli institutions remain intact under the jurisdiction of their governments.

32. Q. Is there a risk that the confederation government will become more powerful than the Israeli or Palestinian government? • No. • Confederation legislation is subject to veto power by the Israeli and Palestinian governments. • Confederation government has no army. • Confederation government has no taxing power without the consent of the Israeli or Palestinian governments.

33. Q. Would a confederation government do away with the Palestinian or Israeli political aspirations? • No. • The Israeli and Palestinian governments can still negotiate their own agreement. • Confederation government is necessary under one- or two-state solution.

34. Q. Why can’t the Israeli and Palestinian governments agree between themselves on the same issues that the confederation government could? • Confederation government has different dynamics. • Representatives represent their own districts and not their governments. • Confederation government is a complementary force to the Israeli and Palestinian governments.

35. Q. Could someone from an extreme group run as a representative? • Yes. • The representative represents his or her district and not his or her government.

36. Q. How would the confederation government function in a hundred years under different demography? • Confederation government is based on protecting the rights of the Israelis or Palestinians, who must agree by 55%. • Israeli or Palestinian government will always have a veto power.

37. Q. Is it possible that the confederation would reach a stalemate in its ability to pass legislation? • Yes. • However, representatives will have to give and take in order to fulfill their promises to their districts. • The dynamics of passing legislation will eventually shift to political interests rather than the national government.

38. Q. Is mutual, democratic cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis feasible? • Yes. • The experiment of democracy between Israelis and Palestinians inside the State of Israel has proven to be extremely successful.

39. Q. How was the number 300 chosen? • In order to allow sufficient number of Israelis and Palestinians to participate in the process without giving a few representatives too much power to block legislation.

40. Q. Would a Confederation between the Israelis and Palestinians become the exclusive method to resolve the conflict? • No. • The parties can still resolve the conflict: • Bilaterally. • Unilaterally. • Confederation is a third mechanism.