Former Israeli and Palestinian ministers: A way out of this endless war. It’s time to secure a lasting peace — for Israelis, Palestinians and the broader region.

By Ehud Olmert and Nasser al-Kidwa

October 4, 2024 at 12:41 p.m. EDTEhud Olmert was prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009. Nasser al-Kidwa was foreign affairs minister of the Palestinian National Authority from 2005 to 2006.On Oct. 7, 2023, a new earth-shattering chapter in the history of violent encounters between Palestinians and Israelis launched their most devastating war yet. Almost one year later, too many thousands of people have been killed on both sides. The Gaza Strip has been destroyed, and most of its inhabitants have become refugees once again; there are now about 2 million homeless Gazans. More than 200,000 Israelis also have been displaced, forced to leave their homes near Gaza and in the north, near the border with Lebanon. The war now threatens to spread across Lebanon itself, and perhaps the broader region as well.Sign up for Shifts, an illustrated newsletter series about the future of workWe didn’t know each other in our past official positions in service of our peoples. Nor did our professional paths cross — until now. After many hours of discussions, we believe we have come up with a blueprint for a breakthrough toward ending the war in Gaza. This would also serve as a starting point for renewed negotiations to reach an agreement that would end the violent conflict between Israelis and Palestinians once and for all — and in doing so remove one of the biggest impediments to a lasting regional peace.The suggestion of any radical change is, of course, viewed as capitulation or granting the other side victory. But the true test of leadership is not in following public opinion but in determining the best strategic path for the future and presenting it boldly and without fear.Opinions on the Middle EastNextOpinionFormer Israeli and Palestinian ministers: A way out of this endless warOpinionOct. 7 will rock colleges. 

I’ve never seen Israelis as gloomy as they are today

We begin with the basics: The war in Gaza must end. The Israeli hostages held by Hamas must be returned to their families. And Israel will have to release the agreed number of Palestinian prisoners. Israel must also withdraw from Gaza. 

And the Palestinians must create a new, responsible and legitimate ruling entity in Gaza that is not composed of politicians from any of the Palestinian factions — a governmental structure that would be organically linked to the Palestinian Authority but independent enough to gain the acceptance of the Palestinian people, the Arab neighbors and the international community.

The following part of our plan contains the conditions to enable a sustainable Israeli-Palestinian peace. This peace must be based on the existence of the states of Israel and Palestine, living side by side on the basis of the June 4, 1967, borders. We agree that 4.4 percent of the West Bank, where the main Israeli settlement blocs exist (including in the Jerusalem area), represents realities on the ground that are too difficult to reverse. 

This land will need to be annexed to Israel, in exchange for the same amount of land being ceded to the new Palestinian state.We also propose to remove the Old City of Jerusalem — the center of the religious sites — from the exclusive sovereign control of either Israel or Palestine.

The Old City of Jerusalem would be administered by a trusteeship of five states, including Israel and Palestine.This plan does not have all the details worked out. We have agreed on the contours of what genuine Israeli-Palestinian peace must be based on. In the not-too-distant future, a new generation of Israeli and Palestinian leaders would have the task of negotiating and transforming this vision into reality.

As part of our commitment, we are investing our time and effort to generate support for our proposal from the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, opinion makers, and political leaders in the region and beyond. We are presenting the unavoidable truth: that this conflict must be resolved diplomatically for us to create a course for a different tomorrow. We are working tirelessly to explain our plan and to secure public support as widely as possible. To us, this is not merely a document but a living vision of a better future for Israel, Palestine and the world.

In a period of such frightening darkness, we seek to shine a light of hope pointing to the path that our two peoples must take.