JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s Labor Party unanimously approved a plan presented by its leader, Isaac Herzog, that would promote a two-state solution through unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank.
The plan was approved on Sunday during a party convention. Party members also voted to postpone until May discussing the date of the next leadership primary.
Herzog in a statement posted on Facebook praised the vote, adding that it is a “major struggle for the state of Israel to remain safe, Jewish and democratic.”
“We will continue with courage and triumph,” he said.
Former Labor head Shelly Yacimovich has led the public opposition to Herzog’s diplomatic plan and said she would vie with Herzog for the party leadership.
The plan calls for the advancement of the two-state solution even without negotiations toward a final agreement, Haaretz reported.
It states that “a full peace agreement unfortunately isn’t around the corner and at this stage; it’s not possible to realize the two-state vision. We must work by every means possible to preserve the two-state vision while separating from the Palestinians until it is realized.”
The plan calls on Israel to retain West Bank settlement blocs, freeze all building outside of the settlement blocs and complete the security barrier. It also states that Gaza must be part of a final agreement and moderate Arab states must be involved in the process.
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