S.S.L- Sovereignty Shift Lines

A solution for the Israeli - Palestinian conflict

By "PeaceWays" - Elad Rubin

Background

One can sum up in a single sentence the myriad of ideas that have been brought up in the last couple of years as a solution to the ongoing conflict: "we'll evacuate the settlements - you'll give up the Right of Return"

The price of peace is to be paid by the settlers and the refugees.

It doesn't work that way. Reality teaches us that this illusion has no hold in real life. The refugee will never give up on his dream, even if his leaders sign such a treaty, and neither will the settler, even if he is forcibly uprooted.

An answer - both to the Palestinian "Right of Return" and the Jewish "Right of Inhabitancy" - is therefore clearly in the interest of both sides. Without it the conflict does not end! This means an answer in which those who return remain Palestinian citizens, and the settlers remain Israeli citizens. Maintaining full and clear separation - a governmental separation: the Jewish governing the Jewish, the Palestinian governing the Palestinian.

Looking at reality straight in the eyes, not to the 'left', not to the 'right', and not to the 'middle'.

The Solution

In a sentence - moving the lines according to the people, rather than people according to lines.

This basic principle is accompanied by 'The Principle of Land Keeping': the territory of any sovereignty, Palestinian or Israeli, stays identical to the total amount determined in the '67 lines. The total amount is the same - the way the land is divided is changed. To preserve both the separation and the rights of return and inhabitation it simply takes a new mechanism of drawing borders.

This new mechanism, that defines the new ways to divide the land, is called S.S.L- the initials of 'Sovereignty Shift Lines'.

There are two types of S.S.L: the main S.S.L is based on the '67 borders, with slight changes to apply Israeli sovereignty to the Jewish settlement of the territories which are adjacent to the 'Green Line', a matter of few kilometers.

The second kind of S.S.L - "The circular S.S.L" - is Peaceways' great novelty. It is a parameter change of sovereignty borders, that apply Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements which are isolated in Palestinian territory, and Palestinian sovereignty to Arab settlements inside the Israeli territory. To these settlements the Right of Return is implemented! That way, receiving Israeli citizenship is not part of this right: the returning Palestinian maintains Palestinian citizenship, and the settler in the territories remains an Israeli citizen. The total sum of territory remains the same as it was before '67! No one is forcibly uprooted - either from his home or from his dream.

The circular S.S.L upholds the Israeli 'Right of Habitation'. The S.S.L includes the settlements in the West Bank and Gaza under Israeli sovereignty. It allows a 'growth belt' by not being drawn exactly in the 'last house line'. The circular S.S.L allows the dropping of the problematic issue of twisted corridors towards what is referred to as 'settlement blocks', as presented in various offers.

The circular "S.S.L" upholds the Palestinian 'Right of Return'. Inside Israel, areas are allotted to the refugees equal in size to the ones allotted to the Jewish settlements in the territories. The circular S.S.L allows refugees to settle in abandoned territories or relatively near by, without giving up their Palestinian citizenship and without having to sing the Israeli anthem, vote for the Israeli government, or burden Israeli resources.


What answer does peaceways give to all issues of the conflict? Click here to learn more about PeaceWays' proposals.

For further explanation, expansions and maps mail Peaceways - Contact Elad Rubin




©  HopeWays, 2003-5. All Rights Reserved

HopeWays reserves the right to publish materials at the editors' discretion. However, all materials in this website are published at the sole responsibility of their authors. The owners and editors of this website accept no responsibility for any materials unless they are explicitly mentioned as authors of a specific segment.