'NY Times' columnist says Resolution 181 would use 1967 lines as borders, with "mutually agreed border adjustments."
By JPOST.COM STAFFPalestinian Flag 311(photo credit: REUTERS)
As the Palestinians prepare to unilaterally request recognition of an independent state at the United Nations General Assembly in September, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman has proposed reintroducing United Nations Resolution 181, which in 1947 called to partition Palestine into two states, as a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian territorial dispute.In an op-ed published Sunday, Friedman says the resolution would use 1967 lines as borders, with "mutually agreed border adjustments and security arrangements for both sides."RELATED:Erekat: Negotiations will restart If PM accepts 1967 lines PM to warn Ashton against unilaterally declared PalestineAbbas to Ashton: Europe should recognize Palestinian state"Each side would get something vital provided it gives the other what it wants," Friedman argues. "The Palestinians would gain recognition of statehood and UN membership, within provisional boundaries, with Israel and America voting in favor. And the Israelis would get formal UN recognition as a Jewish state — with the Palestinians and Arabs voting in favor."Friedman continues: "Palestinians would get negotiations based on the 1967 borders and Israel would get a UN-US assurance that the final border would be shaped in negotiations between the parties, with land swaps, so theoretically the 5 percent of the West Bank where 80 percent of the settlers live could be traded for parts of pre-1967 Israel.""Both sides would have the framework for resuming negotiations they can live with," he added.The move would give the US credit for restarting negotiations between the two parties, without "remaining stuck on the settlements issues."
