[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA

What happens when you take a collection of ex-brass who were profoundly
wrong in their analysis and in turn policy recommendations vis-à-vis Arab
Israeli affairs in general and Palestinian Israeli affairs in particular
because they were driven by a set of what might be generously termed a set
of quasi-religious leftist beliefs and have them slap together a peace plan?
[Or do they simply pull up the Geneva Initiative or one of the other plans
on the screen and make a few minor revision, change the date and title and
hit the "save button" ?]

The same poorly thought out proposals that this group of people have been
serving up for years at various confabs at 5 star hotels around the world.

Here is the frightening thought: if this collection of "40 prominent
Israelis" is so glaringly thin in the depths of their thinking on their
"peace plan" what does this tell us about the depth of the thinking that
they put into the critical projects that they were involved in over the
years.

Or is there a difference between drafting "peace plans" and other
activities?]

Former Israeli defense chiefs draft new Mideast peace plan
Group who created the plan, which includes ex-IDF chief Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
and ex-general Amram Mitzna, hopes to use it to pressure Netanyahu to renew
talks with the Palestinians.
By Natasha Mozgovaya and Reuters Haaretz 18:51 05.04.11

Former Israeli security chiefs have drafted a new peace plan they hope to
use as a platform to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government
to renew deadlocked talks with the Palestinians.

A spokesman confirmed the outline of the plan on Tuesday, saying it was
based on a 2002 Arab initiative which Israel has avoided adopting because of
its call to repatriate refugees and fully withdraw from land captured in a
1967 war.

About 40 prominent Israelis backed the project, among them dovish former
political leaders as well as former heads of the Mossad, Shin Bet and
Israeli military, who say they will publicize their ideas fully on
Wednesday.

The plan has been devised "in light of the dramatic events in the Middle
East" -- an allusion to popular uprisings against autocratic rulers in the
Arab world flaring since January -- and was meant to urge the government to
"immediately renew peace talks," a statement issued by the group said.

The group includes ex-army chief Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, former Mossad head
Danny Yatom and Shin Bet directors Yaakov Perry and Ami Ayalon, as well as
ex-general and Labor Party chief Amram Mitzna, a prime ministerial candidate
in the 2002 election.

A group spokesman, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, confirmed
media reports that the plan urged Israel to agree to Palestinian statehood
in Gaza and in nearly all the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

It proposes possible financial compensation for Palestinian refugees and
dividing control over Jerusalem, with largely Palestinian neighborhoods
being put under their control while Jewish areas would be governed by
Israel.

Palestinian refugees could be offered compensation and a small number may be
permitted to return to former homes in Israel, the spokesman added.

The Palestinians want a state covering all of the West Bank and Gaza Strip
with Arab East Jerusalem as their capital and a settlement of the refugee
issue. They have declined comment on the initiative, saying they want to see
its text first.

The plan also calls for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the
Golan Heights, land captured from Syria in the same 1967 Middle East war, in
exchange for guarantees of regional security and economic projects, the
spokesman said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been shown a copy of the plan but has
made no public comment.

The United States State Department, when shown the documents by Haaretz,
said in response "We look forward to hearing more about the Israel Peace
Initiative and believe it could make a positive contribution to the pursuit
of peace."

Efforts to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have so
far failed and the Palestinians are focusing their efforts on building
international support for a unilateral declaration of independence via the
United Nations in September.

Israeli leaders fear such a move could leave them isolated on the diplomatic
stage. Some of Netanyahu's cabinet ministers have urged him to seize the
initiative and present a new plan to break the deadlock.

"We think we are in the right, but many other countries in the world don't
seem to see our point of view, which is devastating," said one minister, who
declined to be named.

"We need to make a move and show our hand," he said, adding he was not sure
if Netanyahu would do this.