| Welcome to the Jewish Peace
Lobby |
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| Founded in
1989, The Jewish Peace Lobby is an American Jewish
organization which seeks to promote a just and lasting
resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The
organization is now made up of over 5,000 members and 400
rabbis. JPL has worked on issues such as
on-the-ground Israeli-Palestinian cooperation. In
addition to JPL's grassroots efforts, it works closely with
Israeli, Palestinian, European and American
policy-makers. |
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Al Quds,
15 June 2011 - Many questions have arisen about the wisdom of
seeking United Nations recognition of the State of Palestine in
September. including what follows UN recognition of Palestine and
is there a long term alternative to negotiations. A new
approach on these issues is
presented.
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During the past
year, JPL continued our core mission: to develop new and promising
approaches to ending the conflict and to communicate those ideas
to relevant parties (e.g. Palestinian, Israeli, U.S. officials).
We are working on three of the most basic questions:
- How can
we solve the Palestinian refugee issue?
- Where do we go if
bilateral negotiations reach a dead-end?
- Is there an
alternative conception of the two-state solution with better
prospects for a stable peace?
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Al Quds, 13
February 2010 - Given that a two-state solution along the
strict-separation model does not have high prospects of being
negotiated, implemented and stabilized, it is worth investigating
whether there is a workable alternative model of two-states. What
would the two-state solution look like if rather than turning away
from the underlying reality of the common homeland, we were to
embrace that reality?
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IHT, 24 February
2010 - While international recognition of Palestinian statehood
prior to an agreement with Israel is not a magic solution, it is a
highly constructive idea that may make successful negotiations a
genuine possibility.
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Haaretz, 27
November 2009 - Prime Minister Fayyad's plan for Palestinian
Statehood builds on the Palestinian 1988 Declaration of
Independence. This has significant advantages when examined from
the perspective of promoting a final status agreement, in
particular one in which the PLO may recognize Israel's Jewish
character.
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Information on
the JStreet "Driving Change, Securing Peace" conference can be
found here here. J Street's first national conference will
bring together dozens of organizations and over 1,000 individuals
committed to peace and security for Israel and the Middle East on
October 25-28, 2009.
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As in previous
visits Dr. Segal will meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders as well
senior international diplomats and will present policy
recommendation towards a just and lasting resolution of the
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.
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A key
recommendation in the new document of the bi-partisan group at
U.S./Middle East Project is that the US “Cease discouraging
Palestinian national reconciliation and make clear that a
government that agrees to a cease-fire with Israel, accepts
President Mahmoud Abbas as the chief negotiator and commits to
abiding by the results of a national referendum on a future peace
agreement would not be boycotted or sanctioned.” This is very much
in line with JPL's efforts during the last two years.
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Dr. Segal
discusses the current potential for peacemaking, and in particular
the importance of having a coherent Palestinian negotiating
address, the meaning of past attempts by Hamas to communicate with
the US in interpreting Hamas's intentions and what one can learn
from the Annapolis negotiations (Dr. Segal's interview begins 20
minutes into the radio broadcast).
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Philosophy &
Public Policy Quarterly, SUMMER/FALL 2008 -- The article explores
Palestinians’ Right of Return and Israel’s Right to Exist as a
Jewish State and shows that the most fundamental questions about
both rights have never been answered. Building on exploration of
such questions it is proposed that: 1) regardless of Palestinian
views about the morality of a Jewish state, it remains possible
for them to acknowledge its legality and 2) a final settlement can
both affirm the right of return of the actual 1948 refugees and
provide for the implementation of this right.
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JPL President,
Jerome M. Segal, spoke in an Middle East Citizens Assembly (MECA)
event at the Ambassdor Hotel in Jerusalem on January 15th, 2009.
Click here to listen the opening words of Mr. Walid Salem, MECA
Coordinator, about the conclusions of MECA's 2008 Conference and
Dr. Segal's lecture.
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JPL President,
Jerome M. Segal, spoke in an ADC event on December 17th,
2008.
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As JPL concludes
20 years of intensive peacemaking you are invited to read the
highlights of our work and achievements since 1989.
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Al-Quds, 9 July
2008 - A rigourous exploration of the meanings of these two
oft-mentioned rights -- "The Refugees' Right to Return" and
"Israel's Right to Exist as a Jewish State" -- is necessary for
enabling further progress towards resolution of the Israeli
conflict. Interpreting the two rights in relation to each other
yields particularly valuable insights and possibilities.
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Haaretz, 9 May
2008 - The US should take a tough love policy towards Israel just
like President Bush (Sr.) and Secretary of State Jim Baker did
with PM Shamir before the Madrid talks.
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Haaretz, 9 March
2008 - The best option is to lure Hamas into the peace process
through the ratification-by-referendum modality.
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Al-Quds, 27
September 2007 - An implementation-based process which clarified
in advance the de-jure borders may actually provide a solution
both to Israel's security concerns and internal Palestinian
unity.
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Haaretz, 15
November 2007 - The Palestinian Declaration of Independence was
issued in 1988 as part of a Palestinian peace initiative and was a
remarkable opportunity to bring the conflict to a close.
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Haaretz, 13 July
2007 - making security performance a part of the of the process of
ending occupation rather than a precondition for negotiations can
bring Palestinian statehood within a year.
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YNETNews, 6 June
2007 - Before Hamas fully takes over the Palestinian territories,
the conflict parties need to agree on something roughly similar to
the Clinton Parameters. There are a few ways for doing so.
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YNET, 20 March
2007 - Israel has no need to fear UN resolution 194. There are
many ways it can accept it while presenting a consistent argument,
for example regarding its impracticability.
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Haaretz, 16
February 2007 - Israel has to decide between negotiating a
provisional agreement along the lines of phase 2 of the roadmap or
a final status agreement with performance-based implementation.
The latter is by far the preferable option.
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Haaretz, 11
October 2006 - The Iranian President and the Hamas leadership
commit to accept any peace treaty ratified in a referendum by the
Palestinian people. This presents an important opportunity for the
Quartet, which should put forward a proposal for a fully drafted
end-of conflict treaty that Israel and the PLO will improve and
put for ratification.
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Al Quds, June
2006 - Rather than conducting a referendum on the Prisoners'
Document, on which there is a clear Palestinian majority, one
should focus on the unique potential that lies in the
referendum-based ratification process for agreements negotiated
with Israel which the imprisoned Palestinian leadership has agreed
to.
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Haaretz, 20 June
2006 - Israel can conduct a Convergence plan and gain
international recognition of the borders it withdraws to as
permanent. To achieve this it has to gain American commitment to
work within the UNSC for the line Israel supports. The PLO would
likely do the same through other permanent members and final
decision will be taken in the UNSC in a way that both sides are
assured they have the support of an actor with veto-powers. The
UNSC will determine that withdrawal to a specific line will
fulfill the withdrawal provisions of UNSC resolution 242.
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Haaretz, 18 March
2006 - A nuanced reading of the right to exist in historical
perspective is presented and highlights some crucial distinctions
that were kept ambiguous so far and thus blocked progress. Chief
among these are the distinction between a legal and a moral right,
and the one between the right of a state to come into existence or
to remain in existence.
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Al Quds, February
25, 2006 - Hamas and the PLO should propose to Israel a
referendum-based ratification process for agreements negotiated
with Israel.
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Haaretz, 2
February 2006 - Given the fact that even after Hamas's victory in
the elections they have not achieved control over the PA
presidency or the PLO, a path is still open for the resolution of
the conflict. A referendum based peace process can be launched.
Rapid negotiations can begin based on a draft provided by the
quartet and the resulting document will be presented to
ratification by referendum in both societies. Crucially, both
sides will commit in advance to abide by the referendums
results.
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Recent polling
conducted by the Steinmetz Center for Peace Research at Tel-Aviv
University, in coordination with the Jewish Peace Lobby, has found
that a clear majority of Israeli-Jews support a unilateral
withdrawal encompassing the West Bank as well as the Gaza Strip,
provided that from an international point of view, such a
withdrawal ends the territorial dimension of the conflict, with
Israel recognized as a Jewish state within a permanent boundary.
Such a withdrawal goes well beyond anything contemplated by the
current Israeli government.
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Jerome Segal argues in his May 2004 op-ed in the
Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds that based on an understanding that
achieving a monopoly over the use of force within the context of
the emergence of a new state can be significantly more effective,
a proposal for a uni-lateral strategy for Palestinian independence
and statehood which is "consistent" with the goals of the Roadmap
is presented.
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Dr. Segal talks
of "The Roadmap: Exit from Conflict or U-Turn?" and proposes a
particular way for the US to play an active role. Additional
panelists were Milton Viorst, noted journalist and author and
Ghalab Darabya, the political counselor for the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) in Washington.
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Over the last two years, Ami Ayalon, former head of
Israel’s internal security service (the Shin Bet), and Sari
Nusseibeh, former PLO official and now President of Al-Quds
University, have worked to develop an end-of-the-conflict
vision. They have agreed upon a short, but powerful
statement, that outlines how the key issues are to be
resolved. Recently, they announced the formation of a joint
Israeli-Palestinian effort called The People’s Voice; its goal is
to have hundreds of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians sign
their name to the proposed framework for ending the
conflict. They believe that by gaining and demonstrating
wide public support for this plan they can move towards the
necessary peace between the two peoples. Compare
The People's Voice with the Clinton Parameters.
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