ALLON PLAN

A proposal developed byYigal Allonto establish peace and secure borders for Israel after theSix-Day War(1967). Essentially, the plan called for the return of the densely populated areas in theWest Bankand theGaza StriptoArabcontrol as well as a return of most of theSinai PeninsulatoEgypt.Israel would retain control of theJordan Rivervalley and mountain ridges, where it could establishsettlementsand early-warning systems (of radar and other devices) to provide warnings against attacks from the east. There would be adjustments to the 1949 armistice lines, and Israel would retainJerusalemand theEtzion Blocof settlements south of Jerusalem. Other specifics were included in the detailed plan. The plan was never adopted as the official policy of Israel, but theIsrael Labor Party-led governments of Israel until 1977 pursued its settlement policy using the Allon Plan as its guideline.

In 1996, a newpolitical party, theThird Way, ran on a policy platform regarding the future status of the West Bank that borrowed heavily from the Allon Plan. In late 1996 and 1997, theLikud-led government ofBenjamin Netanyahuarticulated a vision of a permanent settlement with thePalestiniansderived from the original Allon Plan and with adjustments to reflect prevailing realities in the territories, a vision that Netanyahu called the "Allon Plan Plus."

See alsoArab-Israeli Conflict.