A plan created by a local attorney to create a confederation of
Israelis and Palestinians in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza was
introduced at a symposium at UCLA on Sunday.
UCLA alumnus Josef Avesar introduced his idea for a coalition of
representatives that would act alongside the existing Israeli and
Palestinian governments. The Israeli-Palestinian Confederation, the
name of both the group and the proposed plan, hopes such a
confederation will work as a mechanism for cooperation between
Israelis and Palestinians.
Avesar, an lawyer from Encino, has funded the promotion of his
proposal. Sunday’s event was the first symposium to publicize
the plan, and Avesar plans to take the idea to political figures in
the U.S. who have more influence.
“I just started to go out and meet with organizations and
present the idea,” Avesar said.
Under the plan, the confederation would be made up of
representatives from districts throughout Israel, the West Bank and
Gaza, and it would pass legislation that would be beneficial to
both Israelis and Palestinians in an effort to focus on what the
two groups have in common.
The proponents of the plan hope that this will then lead to
improved overall relations.
Avesar’s organization is made up of Jews, Muslims and
Christians from the L.A. area, and aims to generate enough
attention and finances to make the proposal a reality, according to
the group’s Web site.
The group invited a panel of experts to discuss the feasibility
of the plan, which would create a confederation where legislation
would be passed by 60 percent majority with 25 percent of the
minority population’s representatives also in agreement. In
addition, both the Palestinian government and Israeli government
would hold veto power.
“This system changes the dynamics,” Avesar said.
Meeting common local goals like building hospitals and utility
grids would make both Israelis and Palestinians realize they have
some similar objectives, he said.
The idea was presented to a primarily nonstudent audience of a
few hundred. A discussion of the proposal by leading experts in the
field followed the presentation.
The panel had mixed reactions to the plan. The most vocal
opposition to the plan came from Shlomo Gazit, a retired Israeli
army general.
“I have very big doubts about the project,” he
said.
Gazit warned that past agreements have failed because they did
not address larger issues, such as the control of Jerusalem and
dealings with Palestinian refugees. The confederation would act as
a representative government working on more local issues, like
infrastructure, rather than the deeper differences between the two
groups.
Gazit advocated starting with small steps, suggesting a more
economics-based approach that leaves politics to the existing
governments.
At times, Gazit’s words drew cheers from the audience, and
some panelists showed support for him.
Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz, who was not in attendance,
sent a video expressing support for the efforts, but also cautioned
that the area was not ready for such a plan.
But Saleem Ali, assistant professor of environmental studies at
the University of Vermont, disagreed with Gazit’s dismissal
of the plan.
“I don’t think creativity should be limited to
linearity,” he said, adding that he did not believe that the
bigger issues needed to be solved before other mechanisms were
tried.
There does not need to be such rigidity in making changes in the
region, Ali said. But he did warn that Israelis and Palestinians
may not be open to an idea presented from outside the area.
Trevor Legassick, professor of Near Eastern studies at the
University of Michigan, said the plan was a positive step.
The panelists’ debate spurred audience reaction when
Mahmood Ibrahim, professor of history at California State
Polytechnic University, Pomona, questioned Gazit’s earlier
characterization of Hamas, the party that came to power in the last
Palestinian election that is labeled as a terrorist organization by
some Western governments. Gazit viewed them as problematic to a
peace process.
But Ibrahim said Palestinians voted Hamas into power because of
the policies of the Israeli government. Members of the crowd
questioned some of his facts, and yells of, “Stop that
terrorist!” were directed toward him.
Avesar was not surprised at the crowd reaction at certain
points, saying only that they were more civilized than he
expected.