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Israel should create 'Marshall Plan' for Gaza

Israel should seek a regional alliance — supported by the European Union, Russia, United Nations and United States — to enable the creation of a Palestinian state and peace between Israel and most neighboring countries, and form a strong axis to fight radical Islam.
An Israeli soldier guards the West Bank Jewish settlement of Susia, south of Hebron May 19, 2014. Israeli lawmakers are pressing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lift what they call unjustified secrecy over opaque - and rising - funding for settlements on West Bank land Palestinians want for a state. Picture taken May 19, 2014. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS MILITARY) - RTR3VEDO
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At the recent UN General Assembly meeting, Palestinian and Israeli leaders spoke the words their followers wanted to hear. Their remarks also underscored an important point the international community should note: The old bilateral-negotiations-only model for reaching a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian agreement is dead.

Here in Israel we are realizing that force alone will not bring us security or maintain Israel as the democratic home of the Jewish people. Instead, we need an approach that creates movement toward a reality of two states for two peoples — Jews and Palestinians. Regrettably, our leadership has not embarked on any course of action that could lead to that reality. That is the biggest failure of Israeli leadership in the last decade — bigger than any diplomatic, political or military blunder. Israel is paying dearly for this failure.

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