UN, Jordan, Egypt, PLO & Hamas need to return to 5 June 1967

Successful negotiations to turn back the political clock existing at 5 June 1967 between

• Israel and
• Egypt and Jordan – with whom Israel has had signed peace treaties since 1979 and 1994 respectively – backed by the PLO and Hamas
• Chaired by the UN Secretary-General

could keep the future possibility of the two-state solution alive.

Such negotiations could also open up a variety of other solutions to end the Arab-Jewish conflict including:

• Gaza-Egypt: confederation or unification
• West Bank-Jordan: confederation or reunification of such areas of the West Bank with Jordan as is agreed between Israel and Jordan.

The Security Council should heed Wennesland's advice and use its influence to make these negotiations happen.

Talking is always preferable to fighting.

United Nations (UN), Jordan, Egypt, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and Hamas need to focus on the current reality that the two-state solution called for in UN Security CouncilResolution 2334 is impossible to achieve: Creating a second Arab State in 5% of former Palestine - in addition to Jordan – which presently exercises sovereignty in 78% of former Palestine.

That reality was made abundantly clear by Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process -Tor Wennesland – when addressing the Security Council on 19 January during its quarterly debate on "The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question".

Wennesland told the Security Council:

Efforts must also continue to encourage all Palestinian political factions towards political consensus and bringing Gaza and the occupied West Bank under one legitimate, democratic Palestinian authority. Gaza remains integral to a future Palestinian State as part of a two-State solution.

Bringing "Gaza and the occupied West Bank" under "one legitimate, democratic Palestinian authority" requires a miracle of truly biblical proportions.