Bush's proposal for a Palestinian state

Former U.S. advisor Aaron Miller says Bush hopes to establish a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders by the end of his term

Yizhak Benhorin|Published: 09.02.05 , 19:55

President George W. Bush has developed a no-lose initiative that he hopes to deploy by the end of his administration: a Palestinian state with provisional borders, which includes the Gaza Strip and 85 percent of the West Bank, Aaron Miller claims in an article published in the International Herald Tribune Friday.

Miller, who is currently president of Seeds of Peace, served as an adviser to six U.S. secretaries of state on Arab-Israeli negotiations.

Miller claims that should the initiative succeed, the U.S. administration would gain credit for a major breakthrough; however, should it fail, the administration would blame the Palestinians for missing yet another opportunity.

"In the administration's strategy, however, Gaza is by no means the end of the story," Miller writes, adding that, " the administration is committed to achieving one overriding goal: the creation of a Palestinian state with provisional borders."

"In essence, such a state would be comprised of Gaza and significant areas of the West Bank from which Israel will be prepared to withdraw, deferring issues such as Jerusalem and refugees for future negotiations."

Return to 1967 borders?

According to Miller, the idea of a state with provisional borders first surfaced in a speech by Bush in June 2002. At the time, Miller writes, senior administration officials did not discuss it publicly. However, Miller claims the administration's actions indicate it is inevitably heading toward that outcome.

"The administration's staunch support of Gaza withdrawal, its assurance letter to the Israelis last year essentially ruling out Palestinian borders based on the borders that existed in June 1967, and its avoidance of issues such as Jerusalem and refugees strongly suggest such a strategy," he says. "A state with provisional borders is all the Palestinians will get, at least for now."

However, Miller with his extensive experience in dealing with the Israel-Palestinian conflict, and having participated in the Wye and Camp David talks estimates the American initiative will fail.