ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFEDERATION

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ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFEDERATION

• www.aboutipc.org

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UNDERLYING REQUIREMENTS

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

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UNDERLYING REQUIREMENTS

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

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CONFEDERATION GOVERNMENT

• 300 local representatives.
• Current demographics would lead to
• Approximately 180 Israelis.
• Approximately 120 Palestinians.

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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.

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NATIONAL DIRECTOR AND VICE DIRECTOR

1. National director is in charge of the executive
   branch.
2. National director and vice director are elected
   as a team for 4 years.
3. The team must include a Palestinian and an
   Israeli.
4. Both are elected for 4 years and rotate after two
   years.
5. Confederation courts system limited
   jurisdiction.

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CONFEDERATION SAFEGUARDS

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

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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.

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CONFEDERATION IS NECESSARY. EVEN IF

• Status quo remains.
• Two states are formed.
• One state is formed.

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REVENUESCONFEDERATION GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE
REVENUES FROM THE FOLLOWING.

• Joint economics zones
• Governments participations
• Local governments
• International governments
• International companies and foundations
• Travel and Tourism

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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.

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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.

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Budget For A Period of Approximately Two Years
PRE-ELECTION Education, public relations, advertising, districting and legal issues, office furnishings, computers, telephones, supplies, etc. 6,000,000
ELECTION Specialists, materials/pamphlets, supporting local candidates, international monitors and security 16,500,000
POST ELECTION 625 people including staff salaries and travel 12,500,000
TOTAL 35,000,000
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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFEDERATION

• Frequently Asked Questions

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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.

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Q. Would America and the world support the
confederation?

• Yes.
• Creates stability.
• Democracy not in conflict with worlds interest.

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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.

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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.

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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

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Q. What if the number of elected representatives
does not accurately reflect the proportionate
share of the population?

1. 55 of the Palestinians members must vote yes in
   order to pass the legislation.
2. 55 of the Israeli members must vote yes in order
   to pass the legislation.
3. The Palestinians government will be given a veto
   power.
4. The Israeli government will be given a veto
   power.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Q. Why cant 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.