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Israeli opposition leader: 'Peace will have to wait'

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Zionist Camp and opposition leader Isaac Herzog discusses his new plan to restore security while waiting for the right time to resume pursuit of a two-state solution.
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Zionist Camp and opposition leader Isaac Herzog flew to Paris Jan. 21 on a diplomatic visit. In his briefcase, he carried his Plan for Separation from the Palestinians, which he plans to present to French President Francois Hollande and Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

Herzog's plan is based on the assumption that it is impossible to implement a two-state solution in the immediate future, because Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are both wary of moving in that direction. The first stage of Herzog's plan calls for restoring calm and focusing on reinstating security through various steps taken by Israel. Chief among the steps is “separation from as many Palestinians as possible” in as short a time as possible. The part of the plan that draws the most attention, and rightfully so, is Herzog's proposal to separate the Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem from the rest of the city. He suggests doing this by building a wall. Herzog also recommends completing construction of the separation wall in the West Bank in a way that includes the large settlement blocs adjacent to Israel.

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