A Puerto Rico model for Judea and Samaria

Representatives elected by six U.S. territories including Puerto Rico, participate in Congress but do not vote for legislation. Op-ed.

Michael L. Wise, INN    Oct 5, 2023, 6:05 PM (GMT+3),

The Biden administration at the UN and in “peace” negotiations with Saudi Arabia endlessly reaffirms American support for a two-state solution to the status of the ‘West Bank’. Secretary of State Blinken said, “Normalization… needs to involve a two-state solution.” Numerous attempts at two-state solutions including Camp David talks in 2000, a Saudi peace plan in 2004, and others have all failed.

In the past few years, the two-state mantra has become obsolete. For example, Trump’s failed “Deal of the Century” proposed that if the Palestinian Authority does not begin negotiations with Israel by the summer of 2024, Israel may apply sovereignty to Judea and Samaria.

Israel Prime Minister Sharon said in 2003 prior to withdrawing from Gaza, “I believe that occupation is a terrible thing for Israel and for the Palestinians.” Sharon chose to end the occupation of Gaza and Israel unilaterally withdrew.

The “opportunity” and feasibility for a second Arab state in the georgraphic area once called Palestine has long passed. The original area defined in the 1922 Mandate for Palestine will not be further divided. The British took 77% of Palestine and created a Judenrein (Jew-Free) apartheid Arab state, now called Jordan.

In 1937, the British Pell Commission recommended the division of the remainder of Palestine, but the Arab leadership rejected the existence of a even a tiny Jewish State. In 1947 the UN voted to partition Palestine and defined Jerusalem as an international city. Once again, the Arab High Command rejected the existence of a Jewish state. In the 1948-49 War of Independence, Jordan succeeded in conquering parts of Jerusalem and the so-called ‘West Bank’ only to be removed in 1967, after Jordan attacked Israel.

The lesson of Gaza has made it clear to informed policy makers that withdrawing from the ‘West Bank’ and creation of what could become a terrorist state in Israel’s backyard would be suicidal. Many alternatives have been proposed from maintaining the status quo, federation, cantons, sovereignty over Area C and/or the Jordan valley, creation of a bi-national state, to declaration of Jewish sovereignty over Judea and Samaria (the ‘West Bank’ of the Jordan River).

Assertion of Jewish sovereignty has been delayed in large measure by issues surrounding the status of the 1.7 million Arab residents (the Palestinian Authority falsely claims more than 3 million residents as do several Israel demographers who rely on PA claims, see here for the reasons) of Judea and Samaria.

We propose that the Arab residents should be granted the opportunity to apply to become holders of Blue Israel ID card (“HOLDERS”) who will elect REPRESENTATIVES who will sit in the Knesset, participate on committees, present and propose legislation, and participate in Knesset debates. These REPRESENTATIVES will have a status similar to representatives elected by six U.S. territories including Puerto Rico. These representatives participate in the Congress but do not vote for legislation and are not part of any caucuses or coalitions. Similarly, if Israel models itself on these US territories, REPRESENTATIVES elected by HOLDERS will not vote in the Knesset or be part of any coalition.

HOLDERS will be entitled to all the benefits and rights available to Israel citizens. HOLDERS will have full civil and religious rights. They will manage their municipal affairs, and democratically elect local leadership responsible for education, security, religious and other activities subject to the laws of the State of Israel.

But why should HOLDERS not vote for members of Knesset? Clearly, as long as part of the Moslem world and some of Israel’s neighbors and entities such as Hamas and Hezbollah seek Israel’s destruction one cannot expect that Israel would be suicidal and risk giving Knesset voting rights to people that, in part, often share that agenda. Furthermore, one cannot allow those, who might seek the destruction of Israel, to join with opponents of Israel’s continued identity as a Jewish state.

Allowing residents to have full voting rights only over local affairs is a well-known phenomenon. For example, in the United States the six non-voting members in the U.S. Congress are the delegates representing the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These elected territorial representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives, serve in every respect as members of Congress, including sponsoring legislation and serving on congressional committees, where they can vote on legislation. They have House floor privileges but do not have a right to vote on proposed legislation in the House.

Israel will implement programs similar to those outlined in the Abraham Accords (2020) and the Puerto Rico Incentives Code to promote economic development. These accords will be implemented with incentives to attract investment and to promote conditions for prosperity and job creation in Judea and Samaria. Capital investment by foreign investors will have privileged status and be incented to encourage manufacturing, tourism, agriculture, as well as aerospace, biosciences, technology, and renewable energy industries. New businesses will receive stimuli such as technology parks, education grants, health care and other substantial benefits. These programs will stimulate the economy of Judea and Samaria and improve the living conditions of the residents.

How would the international community from the UN to Europe to the USA, react when Israel declares sovereignty? How would the Arab and Moslem world react? How would many sectors of the Jewish population of Israel react?

Before answering, let’s review the history of previous Israeli declarations of sovereignty.

-Israel accepted the limited borders of the UN partition plan of 1947 and declared sovereignty on May 14, 1948.

-After the successful 1948-49 War of Independence Israeli formally declared sovereignty over the expanded territory.

-After the 1967 six-day war Israel expanded the boundaries of its small capital, Jerusalem and formally declared sovereignty. Citizenship was offered to the 85,000 Arabs residents. About 5,000 accepted in spite of the threats of the Hashemite monarch. The balance became holders of blue Israel ID cards with full civil and religious rights other than voting for Knesset Members. After the Oslo Accords (1993-1995) increasing numbers of Jerusalem Arabs applied for full Israel citizenship. Today, about 270,000 of Jerusalem Arabs are holders of Blue Israel ID cards.

-In 1981, Israel applied Israel law to the Golan Heights and offered citizenship to the Druze population. Between 1981 and 2022, nearly 5,500 out of 21,500 residents applied for and received full Israel citizenship. In 2019, the U.S. recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel and increasing numbers of Druze are now applying for Israel citizenship.

The world of Islam is in the midst of a violent storm. Hopefully, a 21st–century reformation is in the offing. Judaism and Christianity have previously undergone reformations. But without a total cessation of the widespread conflicts of Islam, Israel cannot be expected to allow a Muslim minority influenced by violent anti-democratic forces to participate in life and death national decisions.

After Israel declares sovereignty over all of Judea and Samaria, and offers Blue Cards to the Arab residents it can insist that Jihad and suicide bombings must end. Muslim leaders and groups must stop promoting violence in their educational curriculum and media. Arab leaders, in both Israel and the region, must recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

And if Israel’s enemies continue to brand Israel as an apartheid state claiming that its Muslim minority are second-class citizens? Israel’s enemies will continue to ignore facts on the ground. They are blind to violent apartheid and racism around the world and cannot dictate to Israel how to best preserve itself as a democratic Jewish state.

Dr. Michael Wise is a founder and investor in numerous technology companies. He is a graduate of YU and holds a PhD .in Theoretical Physics from Brandeis U., is the author of Israel demography study (BESA).and has published numerous articles about Israel sovereignty and demographics in Judea and Samaria. mlwise@gmail.com