By Willian Mehlman, MID EAST OUTPUT
When all the wild, desperate, improbable solutions to a problem have been exhausted, there is nothing left to turn to but the obvious.
In respect to the Arab-Israel conflict, the “obvious” has been staring us in face for over 40 years. Encapsulated in the mantra “Two States for Two Peoples on Two Banks of the Jordan River,“ it has the distinction of being the most ignored testament to rationality and common sense in the history of international diplomacy.
An “invented ”nation the so-called Palestinians surely are, but given the world’s acceptance of their claim to sovereignty, it is on the shoulders of the world, not on Israel’s, that the realization of that aspiration rests.
Indeed, if it’s solely a National Home for which the so-called Palestinians yearn, rather than the liquidation of the Jewish National Home, such an abode – fully furnished –already exists east of the Jordan River. “Jordan” it may be called, but encompassing 77 percent of Biblical Israel expropriated by the British and handed over to a Hashemite desert potentate, it is a “Palestinian State” in the purest post-Biblical sense of the term.
That this de facto “Palestinian State” with its 70 percent Palestinian Arab majority should be allowed to stand on the sidelines, like some kibbitzer at an interminable diplomatic poker game, exempt from any material obligation toward its compatriots, boggles the mind.
Gratuitous advice can no longer be accepted as currency for Jordan King Abdullah’s unsettled debt of responsibility for the “ingathering” of his Palestinian “Diaspora.” His assumption of it should begin by reinstating the Jordanian nationality of hundreds of thousands of Arabs resident in Judea and Samaria wiped off the by King Hussein, his father, in 1988, in brazen contempt of Jordan’s 1954 nationality law. This unappealable disenfranchisement without notice has more recently been intensified for thousands more, including Arabs of Palestinian origin who have lived in Jordan since the Six-Day War. Viewed as especially vulnerable to the same treatment are the more than 200,000 Palestinian-origin Jordanian migrant workers expelled from Kuwait in 1991 in the wake of Operation Desert Storm.
Jordan claims its citizen annulment policy is motivated by a desire to reinforce the victims’ “Palestinian birthright” and their right to return to the “West Bank.” Insiders suspect the real reason is the monarchy’s desire to rid itself of excess population weight on a stagnant economy, with the eventual hope of unloading the problem on Israel’s doorstep as part of a Middle East peace agreement
Meanwhile, the newly minted non-citizens face a bleak future. Jordanian law prohibits the state from employing them. A similar law, requiring proof of nationality, virtually disbars them from employment in the private sector. The outlook for professionals is classical Catch 22. They can’t practice law, medicine or any other calling without being members of the corresponding professional associations. And the latter can’t admit them unless they’re Jordanian citizens.
The United States, King Abdullah’s chief political and financial prop, has consigned its humanitarian instincts to cold storage in the face of this brutal Jordanian onslaught against its citizenry. As far as the Obama White House is concerned, the Hashemite monarchy, the only true second party to its vaunted “two-state solution,” remains not only free of involvement, but free to further exacerbate the problem it was ostensibly designed to resolve. That charade must end. Moreover, having made the Palestinian issue the fulcrum of its Middle East policy, the United States should bring every material and diplomatic resource at its disposal to the aid of its favorite king in fulfilling his national obligation. That might well be worth the institution of a modern-day “Marshall Plan” to finance the repatriation and resettlement of the Palestinian Arabs in their homeland on the east bank of the Jordan.
There is no better time than now to begin that process.
Bernie, Have you looked at the US government lately?
Perhaps it is the incredible corruptness of Israeli leaders that renders them susceptible to blackmail and extortion from foreign govts intelligence services. Perhaps these strange turnarounds are best explained as those turning coat to save their own skin. I have never seen a succession of govts with such aa never ending torrent of indictments and scandals which seems to cut across party lines.
Nina, God bless you and your husband. I, too, am in my 70’s and all I know to do is spread the word and, more importantly, pray. That is the best thing any of us can do.
There is an old adage that goes something like, “You can tell a tired Indian by the arrows in his back.”
Israel has become a tired Indian. Each time it has acted with strength, it has paid an inordinately high price. The world simply bullies it out of annexed land, even when that land falls to them as a result of Arab aggression. The last thing Israel wants now is another “west bank,” or more “occupied territory.”
The present war is one of propaganda. The Arabs are excellent – extremely sophisticated at it. They have sold a bag of lies to the entire world, and the world is lapping those lies up. Our job is to teach people around the world the truth about Israel, its history and its democracy. Americans need to visit universities, hospitals, resorts and marketplaces in Israel to see how “terribly” we are treating Israeli Arabs.
If the world would only get off our backs and read actual history, Israel would survive.
Since Israel brought Arafat back from anonymity at Oslo, the Arab world has jacked up its level of animosity and maintained the pressure, because it considers us weak. What other country would bring an enemy terrorist out of anonymity, crown him ruler, and expect him to live with his people in peace, side by side with them? Naturally, the entire watching Arab world thought Israel was defanged. What ever were we thinking?
Israel is battle shy, war-torn, and sorry for its citizens. As a consequence, the Arabs have sharpened their knives and their tongues – and sold them to the western world.
Batya Casper
http://www.israelathebook.com
This is a very wise decision. If only more people bothered to consider more than is outside their fantasy walls they have built for themselves.
I can’t add much more to what has been said, but my heart is heavy for Israel and everything that seems to go against them. No other country in the world goes through what Israel goes through, and I know what the Bible says, and I don’t want to stand some day before Almighty God and for Him to tell me that I didn’t support His land. I am in my upper 70’s and money is an issue, but my husband and I constantly pray for Israel. And I know that in the end God Almighty will have the last word, and I want to be in agreement with Him.
I am so very impressed my the knowledge of all the above participants. Even more, I am impressed by your views of taking action.I have been praying that Israel would finally stand strong as they did the first years of their being a nation. We need “NEVER AGAIN” to be the theme of the actions taken. I agree with all of you that Israel must show strength, stength, strength.
I also feel the the USA must show strength, which it NOT happening under Obama.
Greetings Bland. I agree with the annexation but I cannot agree with any solution that does not bring to the foreground the ethnic clansing of the jews from the arab countries AND the creation of the JEW FREE jordan swindle of the Jews. It cannot be acceptable that we simply move on to discuss the arabs because this is the double standard of business as usual after swindling and slaughtering jews. The context of the ethnic cleansing of the jews is an integral part of the Israel arab/muslim conflict and must dealt with as part of any solution, whether multilateral or unilateral. I cannot imagine any just solution that does not consider this ethnic cleansing as the completion of the jewish part of the population exchange and that now the other side must complete their move. Without this the world is encouraged to continue their swindling and slaughtering of Jews. Furthermore, regarding jordan: I cannot see any possible justification for the illegal creation except in a context that the jews and arabs in the palestine mandate were unable to coexist and therefore 2 states are created for the 2 populations. Even with this there are questions about the obvious inequitable sizes of the division. If that is not done then there appears to be a demand for a repetitive creation of 2 states again. It is incredible that these conditions be allowed to remain and the only reason they are being demanded of the jews is due to the perceptions, as throughout time immemorial, that the jews are weaklings to be swindled and slaughtered. If the jews continue to allow these swindles to reoccur it will never end because the rest of the world find the jews to be an easy masochistic target. These obvious injustices are allowed to remain because the world doesn’t care and the jews are ignorant, or habitually in a state of duress and appeasement to the extent that believe that securing justice is impossible. However impossible things happened before in Israels history and the alternative is merely another holocaust, which is in fact already in the making with ALL signs pointing the way. Only those unaware of history are unable to see. Regarding the monarchies mentioned the hashemites were installed very recently and have no history in the palestine mandate territories. However, I consider it as irrelevant, monarchies exist today at the permission of the inhabitants. I was merely pointing to the usual obvious british tricks.
We have it on good authority, i.e. Major General Ion Mihai Pacepa, who was personally involved, that It is the Soviet dezinformatsia who invented the “Palestinian Arab People” and their alleged quest for self government, not the British. He also advises that both the renunciation of violence and the desire for a peace agreement are both pretenses. It is indeed time for annexation of the West Bank, particularly because recent population studies show that the Arab population in the West Bank is much lower than previously thought, and two, many of them prefer the stability, economics, and political liberty that would be available to them under Israeli rule. By seeking statehood unilaterally, the Arabs have violated the Oslo Agreement. There is no reason to continue this bad situation. I would require the Arabs who want to remain in the West Bank to take a loyalty oath and let the others go where they want, but not in Israel.
They were never “Palestinians” and prior to the Russian invention, never sought self government, but even if they were a people and had been seeking self government , preventing them from changing their citizenship is a violation of the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
That is true, Bernard; but that neglects to say something about Abdullah and the Hashemite clan: They are no more “outsiders” in Jordan, than the houses of Saxe-Gotha-Coburg, Hanover, Stuart, Tudor, etc. have been in England. They carry prestige among a certain minority across the Arab world, and even beyond: They are descendants of Muhammed.
Be that as it may, I consider Abdullah to be part of Arab politics, not Israeli. If Israel wants to implement a solution to its Arab minority problem, I suggest it:
(1) Annex Judea & Samaria
(2) Promulgate a constitution, dividing Israel into real, honest-to-God CONSTITUENCIES, places wherein the politicians are somewhat obliged to look out for the interests of those who voted for them.
(3) Arabs are a minority, and they should predominate in a minority of constituencies. They will not be able to become kingmakers, as they would if they were citizens of Israel the way it is currently set up.
(4) The constituencies would all be subject to federal law; so Israeli Jews would have the same rights as Arabs wherever they lived in Israel.
That’s the nugget of it. Let the Arabs across Jordan stay across Jordan, and do whatever they want. Let Israel take care of Israel. If Solomon and David were able to rule well with a large non-Jewish minority in their midst, so can modern Jews if they set their hearts to do it.
It is a mistake for jews to repeatedly seek action and redress from others, especially those with an interest in maintaining the conflict with the jews. Abdullah and his clan are a foreign entity brought in to be puppets by the british. Their whole reason for being there is a con. Why expect anything from him? This is a poor jewsih habit of imploring others to take action rather than taking action themselves. When bold action has been taken it has bee successful” Eichmann, 67 war surprise, entebbe, crossing the suez in 73,etc. Hopefully, joining this list will be the demand of Israel for the fulfillment of international obligations of san remo, the palestine mandate trust and the quid pro quo completion of the exchange of populations began by the ethnic cleansing of the jews from arab territories. Surely, I jest, the demand is only the first step of jewish enlightenment the real step is Jewish ACTION: Annexing west bank and completing population exchange, both unilaterally.