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Regional and civil initiatives ·

The People's Voice – the Ayalon–Nusseibeh Statement of Principles

An unofficial initiative: a short statement of principles drafted by two private individuals. It is not an agreement, and no government adopted it.

In 30 seconds

Ami Ayalon, former head of Israel's General Security Service, and Sari Nusseibeh, a Palestinian academic and PLO representative in Jerusalem, drafted six principles for an agreement1. They are: two states for two peoples based on the 1967 lines, Jerusalem as an open city and capital of both, refugee return to the Palestinian state only, and an end to the conflict2.

Where it stands today

As of October 2026 the statement remains a civil document that no government has adopted, and no permanent-status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians are under way4.

In one sentence

To put the principles of a permanent-status deal on one page, so that ordinary Israelis and Palestinians could declare their support for them.

The challenge

In 2002 the Second Intifada was raging and official negotiations had stopped after the Taba talks. The initiative tried to get around the deadlock: instead of waiting for leaders, it put a short version of the end of the road before the public itself1.

The road there

  1. The date on which Ami Ayalon and Sari Nusseibeh drafted the statement, according to the Economic Cooperation Foundation (ECF)1.
  2. The date printed on the copy of the statement held in the UN archive2. The sources do not reconcile the two dates.

The people

What was proposed

  • Two states for two peoples2.
  • Borders based on the lines of 4 June 1967, with 1:1 modifications reflecting security, territorial contiguity and demography; a connection between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; once the border is set, no settlers remain in the Palestinian state2.
  • Jerusalem as an open city and capital of both states: Arab neighbourhoods under Palestinian sovereignty, Jewish ones under Israeli sovereignty. Neither side has sovereignty over the holy places; Palestine is guardian of the Haram al-Sharif and Israel of the Western Wall2.
  • Palestinian refugees return only to the Palestinian state, and Jews only to Israel; an international fund compensates refugees2.
  • The Palestinian state is demilitarised, and the international community guarantees its security and independence2.
  • Full implementation of the principles ends the conflict and all mutual claims2.

Read the document

The geography

100%
Schematic map of Israel and its neighbours with line typesWest BankGaza StripJerusalemTel AvivGazaRamallahAmmanRafahNaharayim / Baqura

Choose a country on the map or in the list. Use + and − to zoom. On touch screens, enable gestures to drag and pinch; scroll the page outside the map. Keyboard: arrows to pan, + and − to zoom, Home to reset.

Layers · Legend
  • International boundary agreed in a peace treaty
  • Treaty line with Jordan, “without prejudice to the status” of the territory beyond it
  • 1949 armistice line (“Green Line”) — not an agreed final border
  • “Blue Line” — UN line of withdrawal (2000), not a border
  • Ceasefire / disengagement line with Syria (1974)
  • Other international boundary
  • West Bank and Gaza Strip: permanent status not agreed
  • Golan Heights: held by Israel since 1967; annexation not recognised by the UN
  • UN area of separation (UNDOF)

Classification follows the original research as of 7 Oct 2026. This schematic map is not a legal boundary map or a live update.

  • International boundary agreed in a peace treaty
  • Treaty line with Jordan, “without prejudice to the status” of the territory beyond it
  • 1949 armistice line (“Green Line”) — not an agreed final border
  • “Blue Line” — UN line of withdrawal (2000), not a border
  • Ceasefire / disengagement line with Syria (1974)
  • Other international boundary
  • West Bank and Gaza Strip: permanent status not agreed
  • Golan Heights: held by Israel since 1967; annexation not recognised by the UN
  • UN area of separation (UNDOF)

Schematic map. Lines are approximate and are not a legal determination. Data: Natural Earth (public domain), 1:10m scale; line classification and place names by this site. Lines as of October 2026. Peace map

The hard decisions

  • The text asks each side for a painful concession. From Palestinians: refugee return to the Palestinian state only, whereas the Arab Peace Initiative speaks of a solution under Resolution 1943. From Israelis: the 1967 lines, removal of all settlers from Palestinian territory, and divided sovereignty in Jerusalem2.
  • The main barrier: this is a statement by citizens. It binds neither the Government of Israel nor the PLO, and it has no maps, timetable or implementation mechanism2.
  • The sources checked for this page contain no documented criticism of the statement that can be attributed to a named party; no list of criticisms is therefore given here.

What was carried out

—

What was not

  • The statement never became official negotiations or an agreement4.

What remains open

  • Sources differ on the date: ECF dates the statement 27 July 20021, while the copy held in the UN archive is dated 27 July 20032. The number of people who signed the statement was not verified and is therefore not given here.

Sources

  1. Research Economic Cooperation Foundation (ECF)
    Ayalon–Nusseibeh Statement of Principles (2002)
  2. Primary United Nations (UNISPAL) · 27 July 2003
    Ayalon–Nusseibeh Statement of Principles (copy dated 27 July 2003)
  3. Primary United Nations (UNISPAL) · 28 March 2002
    Arab Peace Initiative, Beirut summit — UN document A/56/1026–S/2002/932
  4. Research Security Council Report · 2026
    The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question — October 2026 Monthly Forecast