Founded after the Oslo process collapsed and frustrated with years of stalemated negotiations, violent conflict, and continued occupation and terror, OneVoice works to mobilize the moderate majority, which has been heretofore silent against the forces of violent extremism.

The anchor summit will be held simultaneously in two venues: Jericho Stadium in the West Bank and Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv. The summit will be satellite-linked to parallel events in Washington, DC, London, and Ottawa, Canada.

The Summit will be free to the public, but entrance will require joining the OneVoice Movement and signing a mandate pledging to support negotiations toward a two-state solution. The signed mandates will be delivered, en masse, to the Israeli Knesset and the Palestinian Legislative Council.

"Enough setbacks, enough excuses, enough failures -- it’s time the moderate majority unites to announce itself as a powerful force in the conflict resolution process," states a website dedicated to the Two-State process at www.onemillionvoices.org.

Today, the OneVoice Movement, a youth-led nationalist movement, announced that 500,000 Palestinian and Israeli citizens have signed a mandate demanding a two-state solution.

The OneVoice mandate calls for Palestinian President Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert to start immediate, ongoing negotiations until a comprehensive two-state solution is reached.

The groundswell of Israeli and Palestinian citizens committing themselves to the movement will gather on an unprecedented scale on October 18th, 2007, when OneVoice will host the One Million Voices to End the Conflict people’s summits.

The summits will be held simultaneously in Jericho and Tel Aviv, and linked via satellite to international “echo” events in London, Washington D.C. and Ottawa. Hundreds of thousands are expected to participate, showing their solidarity in support of a two-state solution and demanding accountability to the will of the people. The deadline for negotiations to bring resolution and achieve a two-state solution for the region is October 18, 2008.

“The voice of a unified majority is the critical element in reaching a viable solution for the region -- and it has been missing in the resolution process thus far,” said Daniel Lubetzky, Founder of the OneVoice Movement.

“No accord, offer or peace plan, no matter how well-laid, will ever succeed without it. The will of the majority demands that leaders be accountable to the two-state platforms on which they were elected, and each individual has a real role to play in making that known,” Lubetzky said.

Through a series of groundbreaking negotiations held among Palestinian, Israeli and international experts and advisors, OneVoice revealed that a hidden consensus amongst the people exists on the basis of a two-state solution -- 76 percent of both Israelis and Palestinians are in favor of a two-state solution, and would be willing to compromise to live in strong, independent, stable states at peace with their neighbors.

Building off these Citizens Negotiations is the OneVoice mandate, which calls upon the region’s elected representatives to:

**Recognize the right of both peoples to independence, sovereignty, freedom, justice, dignity, respect, national security, personal safety, and economic viability,

**Implement concrete confidence-building measures that will improve the lives of the Palestinian and Israeli people, including ensuring freedom of movement for ordinary civilians and fostering education against incitement on both sides, and

** Immediately commence uninterrupted negotiations until reaching an agreement, no later than October 18, 2008, for a Two-State Solution, fulfilling the consistent will of the overwhelming majority of both populations.

“If the people of Israel and Palestine want to end the conflict, they must create a support system for the peace process,” said Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. “The events on October 18th represent a tipping point of support for OneVoice’s longstanding movement to bring together moderate citizens on both sides.”

Rabbi David Rosen, Chairman of the International Jewish Committee, added, “This is not a conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. It's not a conflict between Muslims and Jews. The real conflict is between the moderates on both sides against violent extremism that seeks to wreak havoc and hopelessness.”

The OneVoice Movement is a mainstream nationalist grassroots movement with over 500,000 signatories in roughly equal numbers both in Israel and in Palestine, and 3,000 highly-trained youth leaders. It aims to amplify the voice of the overwhelming but heretofore silent majority of moderates who wish for peace and prosperity, empowering them to demand accountability from elected representatives and work toward a two-state solution.

OneVoice counts on its Board over 60 foremost dignitaries and business leaders across a wide spectrum of politics and beliefs, joining as OneVoice against violent extremism and for conflict resolution. Learn more by visiting www.OneMillionVoices.org.
 
More details are available from:Vijay Jesrani
Corporate & Public Affairs | Edelman
1500 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
(p) 212.704.8297;| (f) 212.391.6389
vijay.jesrani@edelman.com    

** Michael Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter with a London newspaper, Michael is the Chief Correspondent for ASSIST News Service of Lake Forest, California. Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen in September, 1995. He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. His weblog appears at: Michael's Wor(l)d BLOG