International Peace Coalition Discusses New Initiative for Israel-Palestine Peace

Helga Zepp-LaRouche opened the 72nd consecutive weekly online meeting of the International Peace Coalition on Oct. 18 by emphasizing the danger of an escalation of the war in South-West Asia. Following the Israeli assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made known his intention to severely punish Iran. The fear is that he – or rather those he listens to in the Anglo-American oligarchy – may decide to attack the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities, in which case we could quickly arrive at a direct U.S.-Russia confrontation.

From Israel, the IPC then heard from former Knesset member for Meretz Mossi Raz, who is also the former director general of Peace Now and a former IDF paratrooper. He pointed out that peace activists in both Palestine and Israel are saying the same thing: release hostages on both sides and end hostilities, and move ahead toward a two-state solution. He said he had just returned from Brussels where he was a featured speaker, together with former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser Al Kidwa, at an Oct. 15 conference organized by the Socialist and Democrats Group of the European Parliament.

Mossi Raz also mentioned that Mr. Al Kidwa went on to Rome where he and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert were received by Pope Francis to present to him the joint peace proposal they have worked out to end the war in Gaza, and achieve peace in the Middle East. The plan provides first and foremost for a ceasefire, then the establishment of two states, each of which would have its capital in greater Jerusalem, with neither state exercising exclusive political sovereignty over the city. Another provision would involve swapping 4.4% of the total territory of the West Bank for territory of equal size from Israel for Palestine, as well as the long-promised corridor linking the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

At the IPC meeting, Helga Zepp-LaRouche engaged in an exchange with Mossi Raz, saying she found the meeting in the Vatican and discussion of the joint Israel-Palestine proposal to be “hopeful”, especially given the stature and experience of the two authors. But to be successful, she stressed, it would have to be incorporated into an overall new security architecture, and based, ideally, on an approach similar to the Peace of Westphalia. “I fully agree”, responded the Israeli peace activist.

Neither Olmert nor Al-Kidwa now hold public office, but the former was Israeli Prime Minister from 2006 to 2009, when the Lebanon war ceasefire was signed, and was behind the last real attempt at reaching an agreement for the creation of two states with Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas. Al-Kidwa, a nephew of the late leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Yasser Arafat, whom he represented at the UN, has long been known for his pro-peace stance.