Israel, Jordan, PLO pave way for Hashemite kingdom of Palestine

2.      The right of return to Israel by Palestinian Arab refugees will not be pursued. Instead The Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine will integrate those refugees within its borders

3.      The borders of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan will include

• Jordan with its current borders
• The Gaza Strip
• Areas of the West Bank inhabited by Palestinian Arabs and bordering Jordan that are contiguous and not divided into islands

4.      The retention by Israel of the Jordan Valley and other areas of the West Bank will be resolved in the negotiations

5.      Neither the Arabs nor the Muslims will seek to expel Israel from Jerusalem. However it remains as a bargaining chip in the hands of the Palestinian Arabs in securing any agreement and giving the Holy Places in Jerusalem a special status.

6.      Any agreement will need to be ratified by a free popular referendum by all Jordanians and residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and those who are stateless such as the residents of the refugee camps in Lebanon and Syria. Palestinian Arabs who are settled in other countries and who enjoy full citizenship will have no vote.

7.      The rationale for creating The Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine is based on the fact that Jordanians and Palestinians are Sunni Arabs from the same region and integrating them will not cause any ethnic or sectarian fault lines in the long run. 

Jordan has received a flurry of visits from Mohammed Bin Salman, PLO Leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israel’s President Herzog, since the Saudi Plan was published.

Lapid’s visit now when he is only caretaker Prime Minister is highly significant. It could indicate the commencement of negotiations is supported by the majority of Israel’s political parties.

Let the negotiations begin.