By Alexander Maistrovoy, a Israeli journalist
Not long ago Libya was a prospering country. Medicine, education and electricity were free for all citizens. There was a supermarket chain with symbolic prices of basic products for large families. There was no rent. A liter of gasoline was cheaper than a liter of water, and the state paid $ 7 000 for every newborn. Today, thanks to the efforts of the European powers, Libya is a ruined, miserable country taken to pieces by local clans, gangs and agents of influence, including “Al-Qaeda” and Iran.
Kosovo is another example. Recognized by the West, it remains “a black hole” of the world community and the main transit point for drugs and sex slavers trafficking.
Supporting the Palestinian state is a modern tendency. The problem is that nobody has asked Palestinians themselves what that wanted. It is clear that any inhabitant of Jenin or Nablus would without a hitch tell the BBC or CNN correspondents that he longs for Free Palestine. Any other reaction is impossible in a patriarchal or totalitarian society. When foreigners asked a “Homo Soveticus” about his vital values, he immediately recollected his “Love for Motherland”. It didn’t stop him from savoring jokes about communist leaders, and having a yen for American tape recorders and jeans.
The recent (May 2011) poll of the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion (PCPO) has revealed that 35% of East Jerusalem Arabs would prefer Israeli citizenship, and the same number refrained from answering the question. In case of dividing Jerusalem 40% said they would try to get over to Israel.
According to a similar poll by Pechter Middle East Polls Institute conducted in January 2011 in 19 Arab quarters of East Jerusalem, 54% of Palestinians prefer to remain under Israeli jurisdiction. 39% were sure that their neighbors were eager to get Israeli passports.
Another PCPO poll was conducted in June 2011 after the reconciliation between FATH and HAMAS. It showed that Palestinians wanted independence but their major concerns were corruption, unemployment and poverty (36%). Only 30% thought that their most serious problems were Israeli occupation and settlement activity.
This is hardly a sensation. When in 2000 in Camp-David Ehud Barak, the former Israeli Prime Minister expressed readiness to transfer significant parts of East Jerusalem to Arafat, Arab inhabitants of Shuafat and Beit Hanina villages in the North of Jerusalem started buying dwelling in the village of Beit Safafa in South Jerusalem which would anyway remain in the borders of Israel.
During many years Arabs of the West Bank have tried to move to East Jerusalem and obtain Israeli citizenship. Today Arabian speech can be heard in many Jewish quarters of the city. Arabs, both Christians and Muslims, buy here apartments. However they don’t hesitate to speak in favor of an independent Palestinian state.
These are the realities of the Middle East that are incomprehensible to a western person. However, the phenomenon of “split consciousness” has a simple explanation. On the one hand, Palestinians cherish the dream of their own state and destruction of Israel. But on the other hand, they want to exist normally here and now putting off their expectations for an uncertain future.
They don’t have any sympathies either for Jews, or for their state. But they can get job in Israel, and moreover the citizens of East Jerusalem have numerous advantages: medical and social insurance, good job possibilities, government protection from extortion, corruption and gangster bands. They are also protected from HAMAS that in case of coming to power could impose on them its way of life as it happened in Gaza.
According to official Palestinian data a couple of years ago about 12 000 Palestinians worked on settlement construction in the West Bank. It was their main and sometimes the only source of income which they lost after the Palestinian Authority had prohibited that kind of job.
But the PA itself is not able to provide any reasonable alternative. From their own contractors Palestinians receive 100 -150 shekels per day, from the Israeli ones – 350-450 shekels per day. Palestinians hope that the houses constructed by their own hands will one day become their property. But today they desperately need money for existence and look sadly at Romanians and Thais replacing them on construction sites in Israel.
The enlightened world was exulted over Israel leaving the Gaza strip. However the people of Khan Younis hardly shared the enthusiasm, because they used to earn in hothouses of Gush-Katif more per month than they receive now per year in the form of humanitarian help or doing odd jobs.
It is not difficult to foresee what will happen when the world recognizes the Palestinian state unilaterally. Existing economic ties between Israel and the PA will break, the West Bank will be cut off from Israel, the political atmosphere will make it impossible for Arabs working in Israel, and the Palestinian economy that has hardly recovered after long years of crisis will again be plunged into chaos.
According to a PCPO poll, today 26% of Palestinians are ready to leave the West Bank. This is anyone’s guess how this number will increase in case of sharp deterioration in the economic situation of the new state.
Impeach Obama? You may recall that in George Bush’s final days as president, it was he and the Treasurer Paulson who arranged the bail out of U.S. banks and investment companies, which the American public is still angry about. Bush gave away the store and asked nothing in return. Citizens are wondering if the leaders of these banks will ever be prosecuted. These banks are the crux of outlaw behavior that almost brought the country down. Obama has tried to hold steady, some of his programs have not worked well but the U.S. is not on the verge of bankruptcy, as Greece and Italy are. I believe he’s done the best anyone could do under these circumstances.
Do the Arab Palestinians realize they are the battering ram for the entire Muslim world? What would happen if a group of Arab Palestinians told Israel that they, their group, are ready to break away and make peace with the Jews?
Palestinian nationalism, like the nationalism of Kosovo is fake. Palestinian nationalism is nothing more than an anti-semitic cult. Trying to describe a Palestinian state in realistic terms participates in this fakery. Nobody who seriously speaks up for a Palestinian state cares anything about something like the future affairs of such a state and is only concerned about how such a seizure of territory can further undermine the state of Israel and serve as a vantage point for the murdering of Jews in Israel.
Kosovo is a similar problem. Kosovo represents a front in the ambitions of Albania for a Greater Albania. Kosovo and the Muslims who insist that it is an independent state are utterly unconcerned about anything except eventual unification with Albania. Of course Kosovo is rotten, just as Albania is rotten. Eventually, they aspire to be rotten together as Greater Albania.
Bland Oatmeal – yes you are 1,000% right. Jews are not united against Obama, in fact, many are in his camp, and like it when Israel is under a whip – a sick reality. And Baruch Hashem, Jews are a minority and a small minority in North America. Just too ” quisling like” and ready to turn against their fellow jew at the toss of a hat. Too money oriented and not community oriented, espesh here in Montreal. That been my experience, especially in business.
The Jewish elites elect themselves to run Jewish institutions and make deals that are against the desires of their fellow jews and have the nerve to say that they speak for their community who they like to screw over. In fact the cost of being a part of the jewish community is very expensive. I washed my hands of it all years ago.
It will be very bad here economically. Worse than in the US. High debts, not enough babies, crumbling infrasructure and high taxes, and younger muslims. Sound familiar?
Americans are a very decent people but very very very stupid to fall for his conjob and vote for the Dems to control congress from 2006 -2010 despite the Republicans weakness and Imam Bush who always referred to Islam as a Religion of Peace. Yes McCain is a jerk but not as evil as your POTUS.
James in Canada, I read you about what’s happening in North America. I look at the economic black hole around me, and am continually amazed that there is not a vocal effort afoot to impeach Obama. I am concerned about Pollard, though. Releasing Jonathan could be such a plum for Obama in the Jewish community; but he is smugly aware that he doesn’t really have to do anything to get the Jewish vote: He is a Democrat, and the Republicans are not, so no American Jew worthy of his Jewishness can possibly vote against him. Fortuantely, Jews are a small minority here. I await November, 2012 with great anticipation.
Some false prophets among the Christians are saying the world will end on 21 October this year. Of course, I don’t believe that tripe; but if God really DID want to rapture the Red, White and Blue faithful out of coming problems, I would plead with Him as strongly as Abraham did, that He wait until November, 2012. It would be completely unjust, to destroy the earth before first giving Americans to dump the Obamanation that Causes Desolation.
I have no sympathies for the “palestinians” nor for their cherished “palestine”. The minute their statehood is elected, 40% will try to run with their children with all of their posesions they can place on their jalopies for fear of their own leaders and “brethren”.
But Israel cannot allow itself to become an Arab muslim country. They will have to be deported without any concern for legalities. Hopefully the Israeli lefties will go with them. They are a problem just as menacing.
But how will it happen? after a shattering war with Hamas or Hezbala? The problem is that too many Israelis support Kadima, and labor and meretz. Too many Israelis are exhausted with the fight. The public does not want to hear about Gilad Shalit, Ron Arad or Pollard. Same for the politicians. Content getting their salaires ( at least $10,000 a month ) and their pensions and money for their “political” trips abroad.
Problem with the USA, Canada and Israel is the same: LEFTY POLITICIANS. They have ruined these three countries. It is impossible to save money, people are exhausted and hence they are scared about their future and have no time for Gilad Shalit and Pollard.