Brit Tzedek v'Shalom

Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace

Geneva Accord

News and Analysis

Time Is Ripe for a US-led Coalition for Mideast Peace
December 30, 2004
David Matz, Boston Globe

President Bush is facing a rare opportunity to encourage an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. This opportunity arises from a unique combination of circumstances.
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Palestinian TV Airs Geneva Accord Ad Campaign

December 22, 2004
Arnon Regular, Haaretz

On the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Geneva Accord, an advertising campaign is being aired on Palestinian television, featuring Israeli and Palestinian statesmen voicing their support for the venture.
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The Geneva Accord Moves to Center Stage
December 22, 2004
Arnon Regular, Haaretz

Television stations in the territories have been broadcasting an Israeli-Palestinian campaign since last week that is promoting the accord. The marketer: an advertising company owned by Abu Mazen's two sons.
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PA Mulling Adoption of Geneva Accords
December 5, 2004
Itamar Inbari, Maariv

If Abu Mazen is elected. According to report in London-based Arab daily “al-Quds al-Arabi”, officials view accords as part of Road Map plan.
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Palestinian Peace Coalition/Geneva Initiative Newsletter
December 2004

Major political changes are affecting the life of the Palestinian people. They include Sharon's plan for unilateral disengagement in the Gaza Strip and his plan to continue the construction of the Segregation Wall in the West Bank. Other elements that have lately influenced the flow of events and developments on the Palestinian arena include the sad absence of President Yasser Arafat.
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Geneva Initiative Co-authors Mark One-Year Anniversary by Call to Kick off Negotiations
November 30, 2004
Palestine Media Center

One year after the launch of the unofficial Geneva Initiative for peace in the Middle East, the authors of the peace blueprint called for resuscitating the moribund peace process by immediately kicking off negotiations and coordinating the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
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Israeli, Palestinian Doves Spread Message
November 29, 2004
Joshua Brilliant, United Press International

One year after dovish Israelis and Palestinians presented a draft peace agreement called the Geneva Initiative, prominent personalities from both camps launched a campaign designed to convince the people there is a partner for peace on the other side.
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Abed Rabbo, Beilin Meet PM Blair in London
October 7, 2004
Geneva Initiative

British Prime Minister Tony Bair reiterated the stand of his government insisting that any Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip should be part of a comprehensive settlement and not just an isolated move by Israel or an alternative to such a comprehensive settlement.
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Getting back on Course
September 2, 2004
Aviv Lavie, Haaretz

Aside from the organization and the bus, the Geneva presence on the field trip is expressed mainly in the figure of the guide, Shaul Arieli. Arieli is the realization of the dream of the left, which is searching for new leadership. A colonel in the reserves, the former commander of the Gaza Brigade, articulate (with a slight tendency to mispronounce foreign names), expert in the material to the last detail, he looks and sounds like a Boy Scout leader, as far removed as possible from the round-glasses, Yossi Beilin stereotype of the leftist. Arieli was with former prime minister Ehud Barak at Camp David, and is one of the significant figures behind Geneva, the man responsible for drawing the maps.
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From Gaza to Geneva
August 3, 2004
Gadi Baltiansky, Haaretz

The popular assertion that "there is no one to talk to" is currently yielding the fruit relished by all those who reject dialogue: Budding anarchism can be seen in the Palestinian Authority (PA), and these buds could ripen into full-blown chaos. Ari'el Sharon's prophesy is fulfilling itself.
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The Path to Geneva
May/June 2004
Yossi Beilin, Tikkun Magazine

This is the story of the thin ice. It was almost broken one hour before the signing of the Declaration of Principles on September 13, 1993, when Israel insisted on signing the agreement with the Palestinian delegation to Washington, and the Palestinians insisted it should be signed with the PLO—until it was decided that it would be signed with both.
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Movie star Richard Gere to arrive in Israel to promote Geneva Initiative
May 6, 2004
Menachem Rahat, Maariv International

The American movie star Richard Gere, who starred in An Officer and Gentleman as a rebellious young recruit, has enlisted to promote the Geneva Accord. Gere will be arriving in Israel next month for this purpose.
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Geneva Initiators Say Unilateral Moves Doomed to Fail
May 4, 2004
Marwan Athamna, Maariv International

Initiators of the Geneva Accord met today with Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Ala in the wake of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's resounding defeat in the Likud referendum on the disengagement plan.
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Geneva Accord Calls for Resumption of Talks
May 4, 2004
Etgar Lefkovits, Jerusalem Post

The Palestinian Authority is ready to go back to the negotiating table immediately, PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei said on Tuesday during a meeting with Geneva Accord initiators Yossi Beilin and Yasir Abed Rabbo.
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Geneva Coalition to Push Peace Initiative
April 30, 2004
Marc Perelman, The Forward

The authors of the Geneva peace initiative are trying to revive their advocacy campaign just as the Bush administration is endorsing Ariel Sharon's Gaza disengagement plan.
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Portlanders Debate Whether or Not to Support Geneva Accord
April 30, 2004
Elaine Kelley, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs

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The International Institute for Strategic Studies Presentation of the Geneva Accord by Chief Architects
April 11, 2004
Geneva Initiative

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Geneva Accord Enjoys International Support
NZZ Online
March 15, 2004
Switzerland has set up an international support club for a Swiss-backed peace plan for the Middle East, which was launched on December 1, 2003.
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Eyewitness at Geneva
Steven David Masters, Israel Horizons
Spring 2004
As a lifelong Zionist, I went to Geneva to see whether it was true that Israelis and Palestinians had actually come together to embrace reconciliation and forgiveness.
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Hope and Glory - Geneva
Avraham Burg, Al-Hayat
February 29, 2004
Many attempts to achieve peace in our region have collapsed. Peace with the Egyptians has never been complete, but it is bearing some fruit - there is no war and there is no bloodshed on the shared border. With Jordan, too, the international line holds fast and ceasefire agreements along the border with Syria have existed for more than a quarter of century. Only with the Palestinians, our nearest neighbors geographically and politically, we have not been successful.
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A Conversation with Yossi Beilin
Michael Lerner and Peter Gabel, Tikkun Magazine
January/February 2004
Yossi Beilin was the chief negotiator for Israel in the Oslo Accords. He has held ministerial positions in the governments of Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and Ehud Barak. Most recently he served as Minister of Justice from 1999-2001.
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An Interview with Yasser Abed Rabbo
Tikkun Magazine
January/February 2004
Yasser Abed Rabbo is the former Minister of Information and Culture of the Palestinian Authority. He has played a leading role in peace negotiations with Israel since 1991, when he served as a member of the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid Peace Conference. He is the chief Palestinian negotiator of the Geneva Accord.
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The Geneva Accord: Penetrating the Stagnation
Tawfiq Abu Baker, Arabic Media Internet Network
February 22, 2004
Even those who oppose the Geneva Accord in Palestinian and Arab mass media, for whom Arab satellite channels open wide their arms and screens, cannot deny that the initiative has stirred the stagnant waters in the lake of peace, which has been frozen for a long time, since extremists and hardliners from both the Palestinian and Israeli sides took matters into their own hands.
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The Geneva Accord: Hope for a Future of Peace and Security
Steven David Masters, The Jewish State
February 20, 2004
As a life long Zionist, I went to Geneva last December to witness whether it was true that Israelis and Palestinians, who had led their respective military forces against each other, had actually come together to embrace reconciliation and forgiveness.
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Sharon for Hamas
Yossi Beilin, Maariv
February 18, 2004
Sharon freed prisoners for Nasrallah, but not to strengthen Abu Mazen. Now he prefers a unilateral withdrawal that will strengthen Hamas to a negotiated one that would assist Abu Alla.
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To Israelis and Palestinians: A Statement of Support
The New York Review of Books
January 15, 2004
A statement signed by members of the international political community, expressing their commitment to upholding the principles outlined in the Geneva Initiative.
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The Achievements of the Geneva Accord
Eti Livni, Ha'aretz
December 15, 2003
Livni, a Shinui centrist, supported the Geneva Accord. He now urges the Palestinian prime minister to jumpstart the peace process per terms outlined in the Accord and to proposes that Israel "unilaterally evacuate the settlements of Netzarim and perhaps additional settlements in the Gaza Strip."
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The Logic of the Geneva Accord
Menachem Klein, Logos Journal
Winter 2004
There are three ways in which the Geneva Accord differs from previous documents dealing with an Israeli-Palestinian settlement. First, this is a model for a permanent status agreement that puts an end to the conflict and to all mutual claims. Prior to the signing of the Geneva Accord in Jordan on 13 October 2003, no such model existed, given that the talks held by Israel and the PLO in 1999-2001 on a permanent status settlement came to naught. Second, this is a detailed model. Prior to the publication of the Geneva Accord, several joint Israeli-Palestinian declarations on the principles of a permanent agreement were prepared.
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Background / New Mideast Peace Bids - A Pocket Guide
Bradley Burston, Ha'aretz
December 10, 2003
Ha'aretz correspondent Burston examines the components of several recently developed Israeli-Palestinian conflict resolution plans. Deconstructed plans include Geneva Accord, Olmert Initiative, Sharon Plan, The Peoples' Voice, One Voice, Feiglin's Plan ("The Jewish Road Map"), Hunda II, Yesha Council of Settlements Plan and The Sheikh Yassin Vision.
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Geneva Accord Has Shattered Dangerous Myths
James Zogby, Arab News
December 10, 2003
Zogby reports on the Israeli and Palestinian leaders and activists who stormed Washington in the week following the Geneva Accord's unveiling. Their message of peace received a remarkable amount of national media attention and helped bolster congressional support for the Accord.
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Geneva Accord Offers Hope Against Despair
Ray Hanania, Creators Syndicate
December 9, 2003
Hanania describes how the unveiling of the Geneva Accord helped re-forge a sense of unity between members of Chicago's Jewish and Palestinian organizations.
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Former Top U.S. Officials Back New Middle East Peace Plan
Jim Lobe, Inter Press Service
December 9, 2003
Jewish and Christian neo-conservatives in Washington, powerful allies of the right-wing Israeli government, are actively impeding the Geneva Accord from gaining much needed White House support. The allies have conspired to prevent several key meetings between Israeli and U.S. peace delegates from taking place.
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After Geneva
Bernard-Henri Levy, Wall Street Journal
December 5, 2003
Levy, a European "ambassador" of the Geneva Accord, explains how the Accord is the most definitive Israeli-Palestinian peace plan to date. It is a mutually beneficial plan, not based on either side's romanticized Utopian notions, but instead realistic as to the compromises and sacrifices required by both in order to give rise to peace.
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Palestinians Need to Compromise
Ray Hanania, Newsday
December 4, 2003
Hanania, former national president of the Palestinian American Congress, denounces privileged members of the Palestinian Diaspora for being mouthpieces for continued strife. Their instance on "returning home" to a home that no longer exists is a roadblock toward actualizing peace.
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The Lesser Price to Pay
Gilead Light, Israel Policy Forum
December 4, 2003
Light interviews David Kimche, a member of the Geneva Initiative's Israeli delegation. Kimche discusses the integrality of semantics during the drafting process, the world media's role in generating support for the Initiative, and he responds to criticisms by saying, "These were not negotiations; this was an educational exercise to demonstrate…that peace is possible."
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Geneva Accord - Open Forum with Yossi Beilin, Yasser Abed Rabbo and other Drafters
Washington, DC
December 3, 2003
Transcripts from an open forum with six drafters-three Israeli and three Palestinian-of the Geneva Accord. The event, held in Washington at the Carnegie Endowment, was sponsored by Americans for Peace Now, the Foundation for Middle East Peace and the American Task Force for Palestine.
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An Accord to Remember
By Yossi Beilin and Yasir Abed Rabbo, New York Times
December 1, 2003
An op-ed from the lead Israeli and Palestinian negotiator of the Geneva Accord on the day of the signing.
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Poll: Most Israelis and Palestinians Support Geneva Accord
AP, Haaretz Daily
November 24, 2003
A poll finds that 53% of Israelis and 56% of Palestinians support the Geneva Accord.
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Survey: Majority of Israelis and Palestinians Support Peace Proposal
James A. Baker III Institute For Public Policy & The International Crisis Group
November 24, 2003
A public opinion poll finds that majorities among both Israelis and Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza expressed their support for a peace proposal based on the principles of the Geneva Accord which would resolve the key issues of borders, Jerusalem, refugees and the role of the international community.
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Peace Plan Blitz Sparks Controversy in Israel
Mitch Potter, Toronto Star
November 19, 2003
This article shows how, in provoking strong reactions from those who support as well as those who condemn the Geneva Accord, the agreement has created some optimism and moved both Israeli and Palestinian officials to reconsider their positions.
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Interview with Yasser Abed Rabbo
Al Jazeera
November 17, 2003
The lead negotiator for the Palestinians of the Geneva Accord states that the agreement should satisfy Palestinian demands concerning the right of return for refugees and the future of the Israeli settlements. He believes that the agreement represents the only possible solution to the conflict.
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Wanted: Fanatical Moderates
Thomas Friedman, New York Times
November 16, 2003
The Geneva Accord show that there are moderates on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Both the Israeli and U. S. governments need to recognize that it is with moderates rather than extremists that hope for a settlement lies.
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Laudable in Rekindling Hope
M. Cherif Bassiouni, Bitterlemons-International.org
November 13, 2003
This article takes a skeptical look at the Geneva Accord, pointing out that the negotiators did not have to account for realities that would confront an official resolution. But the article says the agreement could nevertheless serve the purpose of causing people to believe that change is possible.
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Peace Plan That's a Duet Sounds Like a Real Winner
Jimmy Carter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
November 10, 2003
Jimmy Carter provides details of the Geneva Accord. He argues that it is the best and perhaps last chance for peace, and that the U. S. should insist that Sharon's government agree to its terms.
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Groups Rebuke Powell, Annan for Endorsement of Geneva Peace Plan
Ori Nir and Staff, Jewish Forward
November 7, 2003
Both the Anti-Defamation League and the Zionist Organization of America publicly criticized Secretary of State Colin Powell for expressing support for the Geneva Accord. Senator Diane Feinstein urged the Bush administration to adopt the agreement as a means of promoting a solution to the conflict. George Soros said he believes Israel's policies regarding the Palestinians are increasing anti-Semitism around the world.
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Powell Sends Letter of Support to Initiators of Geneva Accord
Associated Press
November 7, 2003
Secretary of State Colin Powell sent a letter to Yossi Beilin and Yasser Abed Rabbo praising the initiative, though it was not an official endorsement. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called the agreement "courageous."
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From the Mideast Moderates, A Bold Plan for Peace
Amram Mitzna, Boston Globe
November 1, 2003
This op-ed piece notes some of the essential elements of the Geneva Accord and encourages the United States government and its citizens to support it. The agreement represents an opportunity for a much needed change of direction regarding to the conflict.
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Why We Israelis and Palestinians Took Peace Into Our Own Hands
Yossi Beilin, Jewish Forward
October 31, 2003
The leader of the Israeli negotiating team for the Geneva Accord explains why the current state of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians necessitated the drafting of an agreement not sanctioned by the Israeli government. He says that the compromises reached concerning the Temple Mount and the right of return for refugees merely acknowledge existing realities.
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We Have Done the Gruntwork of Peace
Amos Oz, The Guardian
October 17, 2003
Oz portrays the mood of the negotiations as similar to that of a couple seeking a divorce. He characterizes the Geneva Accord by saying that both sides gave up some of what was important to them and emphasizes the recognition of the right of Israel to exist.
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They Are Afraid of Peace
Amram Mitzna, Ha'aretz
October 16, 2003
Mitzna argues that the fear shown by the Sharon government in response to the Geneva Accord proves that it knows its policies are unsound. He stresses the groundbreaking elements of the agreement and says that its future depends on whether Israelis demand its implementation.
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Let the Citizens Decide
Naomi Chazan, The Jerusalem Post
October 16, 2003
In this op-ed piece, Chazan highlights some of the details of the Geneva Accord, arguing that the agreement shows that there is a viable alternative to the militaristic policies of the Sharon government.
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The Sacrifice: Palestine's Coveted Right to Return
Leonard Doyle, The Independent
October 14, 2003
Doyle maintains that the key component of the Geneva Accord is sovereignty over the Temple Mount for the Palestinians in exchange for giving up the right of return for refugees. The article summarizes the other main points of the agreement as well.
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Israelis and Palestinians Join in Peace Draft
Greg Myre, New York Times
October 13, 2003
Myre summarizes some of the major points of the Geneva Accord. He also notes that it was signed during a disagreement between Arafat and his prime minister over the choice of a security chief.
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Israelis, Palestinians sign draft proposal in Jordan
Ha'aretz
October 12, 2003
Announcing the signing in Jordan of the Geneva Accord, this article quotes Israeli and Palestinian officials both in favor of and against the negotiation of the agreement.
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