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

Neither Hamas – which has governed Gaza since 2007 – nor the PLO – which has governed Areas A and B – 40% of the West Bank - since 1994 – currently has any intention of allowing their respective populations to have any say in their own future by holding free and fair elections. Promises to do so have come and gone like the four seasons. These political antagonists are locked in a power struggle that sees no prospect of being resolved in the foreseeable future.

Other features of a democratic society - a free press, independent judiciary and freedom of speech and assembly - are nowhere to be seen in either Gaza or the West Bank (Judea and Samaria):

Until these essential conditions prevail - any talk of achieving the two-state solutionas contemplated under UN Security Council Resolution 2334 is a complete waste of time.

A circuit breaker is needed - until one legitimate, democratic Palestinian authority emerges - to defuse and hopefully end the increasing violence between Jews and Arabs occurring on virtually a daily basis.

That circuit breaker could involve the UN Security Council, Jordan, Egypt, the PLO and Hamas negotiating with Israel for a partial return to the status quo that existed in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem on 5 June 1967 - when:

• Egypt had been occupying a Jew-free Gaza since 1948
• The West Bank had been unified with Transjordan since 1950 to form a new country called "Jordan" – all Jews living in the West Bank having been driven out in 1948 whilst its then Arabs-only remaining population had become Jordanian citizens electing their own representatives to the Jordanian parliament
• The PLO was not claiming regional sovereignty in either the "West Bank in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan" or "on the Gaza Strip" - its activities then being "on the national popular level in the liberational, organizational, political and financial fields"
• Hamas did not exist – its founding not occurring until 1988.

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.