The Long-Lost Map: A Path to Peace in the Middle East

Ehud Olmert's two-state solution, once outlined but rarely discussed, resurfaces in a revealing documentary, highlighting missed peace opportunities and the complexities surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In a groundbreaking revelation, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has unveiled a map of a two-state solution that he presented to Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas in 2008. This proposal, which promised to establish a sovereign Palestinian state on 94% of the occupied West Bank, has taken on an almost legendary status over the years. Olmert's impassioned plea during their meeting in Jerusalem was not just a political maneuver; it was a gamble on the future of peace in a deeply fractured region.

"This is the first time that I expose this map to the media," Olmert claims in the documentary series "Israel and the Palestinians: The Road to 7th October," now available for viewing on iPlayer. The map outlines detailed territory allocations, including 4.9% of the West Bank to be annexed by Israel, largely encompassing major Jewish settlement blocs, similar to proposals made in the late 1990s. In exchange, Olmert proposed that Israel would relinquish an equal amount of territory along its borders with the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Key to Olmert's plan was a proposal to resolve the contentious issue of Jerusalem. His vision included a shared governance structure that would enable both Israelis and Palestinians to claim parts of the city as their own capitals. Crucially, oversight of the "holy basin," which encompasses vital religious sites, would have been entrusted to a committee of international trustees, including entities from Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United States.

However, the implications of actualizing Olmert's vision would have been immense. Evacuating tens of thousands of Israeli settlers residing in the West Bank and Jordan Valley was not only a logistical nightmare, but it also posed the risk of escalating violence similar to previous tensions experienced during the evacuation of Gaza in 2005.

In a pivotal moment during their discussions, Olmert offered to provide Abbas with a copy of the map—the catch being that the Palestinian leader would need to endorse it. Abbas declined, expressing the necessity for further evaluation by his advisers. Although a follow-up meeting of experts was agreed upon, it never occurred due to ongoing political turbulence and escalating violence, including the Israeli military operation known as "Operation Cast Lead" that commenced shortly after.

After the political shift in Israel that saw Benjamin Netanyahu rise to power, Olmert's map faded from discussion, buried under layers of complex geopolitics and historical grievances. The former Prime Minister now laments that his proposal has dissolved into a long catalog of missed opportunities, a sentiment echoed throughout the annals of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As the film illustrates, both contemporary and historical negotiations can often feel like tantalizingly close avenues to peace, only to be swept away by the harsh currents of violence and political instability. In an era where hope feels scarce, the story of Olmert's proposed map serves as a poignant reminder of the potential paths yet to be explored in the quest for a lasting resolution to one of the world's most entrenched conflicts.