Leap of Faith: Israel's National Religious and the Israeli ... - ReliefWeb

Leap of Faith: Israel’s National Religious and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Crisis Group Middle East Report N°147, 21 November 2013
Page iv
Recommendations
To ensure parts of Israel’s national-religious community can be properly
integrated in the search for and achievement of a two-state solution
To the government of Israel:
1. Convene an internal dialogue about the place of religion in peacemaking that includes
religious leaders of all Jewish currents, including the national religious.
2. Prevent erosion of the rule of law vis-à-vis religiously-motivated violence by, inter
alia:
a) boosting law enforcement efforts against religiously-motivated attacks on
Palestinians and places of worship; and
b) subjecting religious writings to state laws on incitement to racism.
To the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation
Organisation:
3. Recognise Judaism’s historical ties to Palestine/the Land of Israel as the land of
the three monotheistic religions, as was done in the PLO’s 1988 Palestinian Declaration
of Independence.
4. Refrain from denying Jewish history, including the existence of the Temple, and
condemn such denials when they occur from their ranks.
To Israel’s national-religious leadership:
5. Agree to abide by the results of a national referendum on a putative Israeli-
Palestinian agreement.
6. Refrain from denying Palestinian national identity, history and attachment to
Palestine/the Land of Israel and condemn such denials when they occur from
their ranks.
To include national religious core interests in peace negotiations
leading to a two-state solution
To the government of Israel:
7. Make clear that any putative agreement will be submitted to a popular referendum.
8. Initiate a dialogue with national-religious Israelis on rules of the game in the case
of an eventual settlement evacuation.
9. Consider, as part of an eventual agreement, a gradual process of settlement
withdrawal during which the state would provide settlements slated for evacuation
only with critical services while alternative communal housing is offered to settlers
relocating to Israel proper or to areas designed for annexation.