New York Times ad seeks candidates for
joint Israeli-Palestinian parliament
http://www.timesofisrael.com/new-york-times-ad-seeks-candidates-for-joint-israeli-palestinian-parliament/
http://www.timesofisrael.com/new-york-times-ad-seeks-candidates-for-joint-israeli-palestinian-parliament/
Confederation initiative launched by Israeli-born lawyer who now
lives in California
An initiative to establish an Israeli-Palestinian confederation and joint parliament was publicized Monday with a full page advertisement in the New York Times, aimed at recruiting 1,500 parliamentary candidates from both sides of the conflict.
The initiative was
launched by Israeli-born lawyer Josef Avesar, a California resident, and has
been endorsed by former Israeli foreign minister Shlomo Ben Ami and Palestinian peace activist and
National Council member Hanna Siniora.
Elections for a planned
joint Israeli-Palestinian parliament are to be held on December 12, and the Confederation’s website allows
Israeli and Palestinians over the age of 21 to submit their candidacy for
parliament member or president. The parliament is to include 300 members, elected
by 300 voting districts encompassing Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Candidates must declare online “under penalty of perjury” that they are
residents “of Israel or Palestine.”
The joint parliament is not intended to replace the existing
Israeli and Palestinian legislatures, organizers explain, but rather help
bridge the gap between the sides. According to the parliament’s constitution,
legislation can only pass with the consent of both sides.
With a board of directors located in the United States, it is
unclear where the parliament would convene once elected. Article 1 of the
Israeli-Palestinian Confederation’s constitution stipulates only that “the
time, place, and manner of the Parliament’s legislative sessions and voting
mechanism shall be prescribed by the Parliament.”
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