By Ted Belman
A week ago I posted a video under the title Martin Sherman Debunks the Two State Solution and Offers Alternatives
Many people viewed the video but many more asked for the transcript so they could read what he had to say rather than spend 1.5 hours to watch it.
What follows is a synopsis of his talk followed by many articles he has written on the subject.
Rethinking Palestine: The Humanitarian Approach
By Dr. Martin Sherman
1. If Israel is to continue to exist as the permanent democratic nation-state of the Jewish people, it must adequately address two imperatives:
(a) The Geographic ImperativeIt cannot make the territorial concessions in Judea/Samaria necessary for a viable Palestinian state without critically compromising its minimum security requirements and rendering itself geographically untenable; and
(b) The Demographic ImperativeIt cannot incorporate the Palestinian Arabs resident in these areas into its society as enfranchised citizens, without rendering itself demographically untenable.
2. Israel must therefore maintain control over the territory while inducing the relocation and rehabilitation of the Palestinian Arab population elsewhere. The only non-coercive way to achieve this is with positive inducements – chiefly generous economic incentives.
3. However, there is strong international support for the establishment of a Palestinian state in Judea/Samaria. What fuels this support is the perceived legitimacy of the Palestinian narrative, according to which the Palestinian Arabs are a distinct people, comprising a cohesive national entity that strives to exercise national sovereignty in a defined homeland. As long as the perceived validity of this narrative persists, the international pressure for Palestinian statehood will persist.
4. Clearly then, if the intellectual fuel that drives international pressure for a Palestinian state is the perceived validity of the Palestine narrative, forestalling this pressure requires the deconstruction of this narrative. Such deconstruction should – and can – be based principally on the deeds, declarations and documents of the Palestinians.
5. This narrative-deconstruction must be attained by an assertive public diplomacy offensive, adequately funded and appropriately energized. Without achievement of this objective, there will be no conceptual space in the discourse to advance Zionist-compliant alternatives to the TSS (two state solution).
6. Deconstruction of the Palestinian narrative will obviate the need to deal with the Palestinian Arabs as a cohesive national entity, and instead facilitate addressing them as an amalgam of fate-stricken individuals who, for decades, have been disastrously misled into their current unenviable position by cruel, cunning and corrupt cliques.
Approaching the Palestinians Arabs on the individual, rather than on the collective, level makes way for policy paradigms that call for:
(a) The de-politicization of the context of the predicament, and the nature of its resolution; and
(b) The “atomization” (individualization) of the implementation of that resolution.
8. This enables the formulation of crucial elements of actionable policy that do not require reaching agreement with any Arab collective or political entity –something increasingly implausible in the post-“Arab Spring” climate – but rather the accumulated acquiescence of individuals seeking to enhance their well-being.
Humanitarian instead of political
Depoliticizing the context of the Palestinian Arabs’ predicament will not, in itself, dissipate that predicament, or render the need to do so any less pressing. But what it will do is provide a totally new dimension along which to pursue policies to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian impasse, and new methodologies by which to do so.
Thus, rather than strive for an unattainable political solution, energies should be channeled along humanitarian lines
This will lead –almost inexorably–to the formulation of a policy prescription based on the eminently liberal (as opposed to “illiberal” rather than “conservative”) principles of:
1. Eliminating ethnic discrimination toward the Palestinian Arabs as (a) refugees and as (b) residents in the Arab world.
2. Providing individual Palestinian Arabs the freedom of choice to determine their future and that of their families.
These principles translate into a comprehensive tripartite proposal, whose constituent components should be seen as a mutually interactive, integrative whole:
1. Dissolution or radical restructuring of UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency) to bring the treatment of Palestinian refugees into line with universal international norms.
2. Resolute insistence on the cessation of ethnic discrimination against Palestinian Arabs in the Arab world and of the prohibition on their acquiring citizenship of countries in which they have resided for decades.
3. Generous relocation loans provided directly to individual Palestinian Arab breadwinners/family heads, resident in Judea/Samaria (and subsequently, in Gaza) to allow them to build better futures for themselves, and their dependents, in third-party countries of their choice.
Evidence of feasibility
Strong anecdotal and statistical evidence exists indicating that there is widespread desire among the Palestinians to emigrate if given the opportunity. This opportunity could be afforded them by providing relocation finance.
Withholding financial “artificial respiration” for the dysfunctional Palestinian authority –thereby letting it collapse –will also provide a powerful disincentive to remain and suffer the economic consequences of such a collapse.
Who will accept them?
Since the Palestinians will not be arriving as penniless refugees but relatively wealthy émigrés, in terms of average global GDP per capita, there will be considerable economic benefits for the host countries, whose economies will receive large influxes (potentially billions) of capital. Absorption can be made more palatable by offering host countries additional benefits (for example the funds currently funneled to UNRWA).
How much will it cost?
I estimate the total cost – to be spread over about a decade and a half –at about US$ 200 billion. This might appear an excessively high sum, but several things need to be kept in mind:
First, the absolute cost is largely irrelevant and must be compared to the cost of other alternatives – such as the establishment of a Palestinian state – which also carry a multi-billion price tag.
Secondly, it will entail a fraction (around a quarter) of the cost that the US incurred in its largely unsuccessful wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Thirdly spread over a decade and half Israel could shoulder most the cost itself, with the burden being around what the defense budget was in the 1980s. If other OECD countries were included, the entire program could be executed at an imperceptible cost in terms of their GDP.
Dr. Martin Sherman is Director of the Israeli Institute for Strategic Studies
IN MY JERUSALEM POST COLUMN
PALESTINE: WHAT SHERLOCK HOLMES WOULD SAY
PREVENTING ‘PALESTINE‘ PART II
PREVENTING ‘PALESTINE‘ PART III
THE HUMANITARIAN APPROACH: RESPONDING TO READERS – PART I
tHE HUMANITARIAN APPROACH: RESPONDING TO READERS – PART II
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
RETHINKING PALESTINE: A PARADIGM SHIFT FROM THE POLITICAL TO THE HUMANITARIAN
SHIFTING THE PALESTINE PARADIGM: FROM THE POLITICAL TO THE HUMANITARIAN
THE PALESTINIAN PROBLEM: A REAL SOLUTION
http://www.jerusalemsummit.org/eng/hs_short_eng.htm
Bear Klein Said:
I am going to have to disagree with this statement. although true in normal situations the current climate of defamation and delegitimizing of Israel as a proxy for the Jewish people has convinced me otherwise wrt certain situations. In the past few years of attending many blogs I have noticed a pattern whereby delegitimizers use the cover of forum rules as a figleaf for propagating lies, libels and incitement against Israel and Jews. Jews have a tendency to follow rules and instructions, like those that led them compliantly into the chambers, and the deligitimizers are aware of this and exploit it to their ends. I used to always simply argue the logic but in time realized that there was no logical argument which would change the obsessive, perverted modus operandi of the deligimizers. Over time I developed a new modus operandi that permitted me to realize that the issue in the cases of the degiitimizer was not the bogus arguments they presented but rather the sick, perverted and obsessive nature of their jew stalking characters.
In those cases I took a new and successful tack which led me to expose many a delegitimizer by bringing out his insanity on display for the other accommodating Jews to observe. This was how I discovered that there was an enormous amount of BDS christian upersessionist schurch trolls frequenting Jewish sites on an organised basis using false fronts and misleading user names. By using my new tack I was able to get many to publicly show who and what they really were. I often accomplished this through the exposure of their character as opposed to their logic. Logic was usually a failure as their MO was to run in circles to have Jews chasing their tails.
Jews have always seemed to have a problem reconciling with the fact that there really are people out to get them for various reasons, and covered by many insane rationalizations. This is the jews big weakness: accepting the stark and dreadful truth.
Here is an example of my new MO during the gaza war when the libeling defamers accuse Israel of killing pal children. The other Jews would argue the facts and so did I to start. but what worked and drove the point home to Jew and non Jews was this simple unapologetic statement:
“If you fired one rocket at my children, whether you succeeded or not, I would INTENTIONALLY kill ALL your children.” I said they were lucky it was Israel and not me making the decision.
Everyone was flabbergasted, the defamers degenerated into accusations of me being a terrible person but none had a retort and often they demonstrated their double standard that attempting to kill Jewish children was irrelevant. They expected a whiny, apologetic jew begging to present arguments hoping for the approval of the defamers.
Here is my approach today regarding lies and libels against Israel and the Jews:
“IMO, lies and libels always preceded the incitement, pogroms, and murder of Jewish children. Those who propagate these lies collude in the attempted murder and genocide of Jewish children. Hence those spreading the lies are seeking to kill Jewish children..”
its a perspective which personalizes the seriousness of the crime of libeling Jews through Israel and suggests what the proper punishment should be for a crime of attempting the murder of Jewish children. It is also a perspective that wakes Jews from their slumber if they sometimes think from that point of view. One does not reason with those seeking to murder their children, one focuses on neutralizing the threat, and this focus is more likely to bring results more relevant to the current situation whereby no one gives a crap about jews. When I suggest the pals and IS be sent to europe I am seeing the euros as the murderers of jewish children at this very moment, every day they lie and help their jew killing pets.
a long story, but I thought you deserved an explanation for my disagreement based on my own experience.
Bear Klein Said:
an interesting point but who is really in need of a psychiatrist?
Was the jew who followed instructions grounded in reality?
Is the jew who believes that logical argument will win the current battle to neutralize the deadly dangerous anti antisemitism today grounded in reality?
Is the jew who seeks help from the americans and europeans to help them escape the rising blood lust against Jews grounded in reality?
Is the jew who seeks the support of the most widely respected international organization(UN) grounded in reality?
Is the Jews who belives in the internationally accredited ICC grounded in reality?
is the Jews who believes that people will believe that he is not an apartheid, child killing, global parasite grounded in reality?
Is the Jew who follows the accepted standards of behavior when all others follow a double standard grounded in reality?
food for thought.
ArnoldHarris Said:
you were younger in 1974, presumably not an old fool then. I did not say you are an old fool but that you are beginning to sound like one. Merely an opinion expressed on your pontificating habit like when you express your opinion on the behavior of others.
I do not seek to limit CA’s stealth anti semitism here but neither should that stealth MO be immune from exposure. With anti semites, personal character is often the real issue rather than the pretend issue submitted logically as a distraction.
ArnoldHarris Said:
I have frequently differed, but it is not the areas of logic, which he employs at times, either you are aware or you are not as we have discussed his modus operandi over years now.
ArnoldHarris Said:
whether CA insulted you is irrelevant to Yamits reaction to CA. You may well bask in CA’s approval, but his acceptance of you does not justify your response to Yamit, and I feel indirectly to myself. Everything does not revolve around you and your relationship with CA is irrelevant to Yamits reaction.
My tenor was motivated by your gratuitous pontificating arrogant lecture. I have seen you do the same before where you arrive at the end of the show with irrelevant pontifications. CA’s stealth anti semitism is always a personal attack as it would be from anyone who offers libels, false equations and double standards the particulars of which have been posted here in detail over 2 years.
I believe that Yamits anger is justified in the context of the whole thread and CA’s MO, and you do not… but what makes it ok for you to insult yamit and pontificate your false morality to him? You with your myopia are unable to see CA’s MO and stealth attacks but your deficiency is not a basis for attacking Yamit on this issue. I express my opinion as you express yours, the difference is that you seek censorship to conform with your hypocritical morality and superficial appearances of proper behavior. I do not seek to censor you or CA but seek the freedom of expression to rebuke hypocritical pontificators and stealth anti semites.
ArnoldHarris Said:
In that case perhaps CA should refrain from double standards, false equations of Jewish behavior with their abusers and you should refrain from personal attacks which imply that the behavior of others should be censored because they do not agree with your conclusions or your hypocritical standards of acceptable behavior.
ArnoldHarris Said:
Stalin would be proud
ArnoldHarris Said:
You forgot to mention your pontificating 🙂
@ ArnoldHarris: You are correct personal attacks have no constructive value. Perhaps for the attacker is another outlet in lieu of going to a psychiatrist.
Over lecturing and speaking down to others on what others should do perhaps is also a turnoff and may obscure otherwise beneficial commentary.
CuriousAmerican Said:
if their “brothers” are deposited across their borders it will be their problem…… who cares then whether the arabs pay as the pals will be sitting in their laps, they can rot in camps in those countries if they desire. Although I believe the real result will be that the pals end up realizing what their arab brothers did to them and will give them a long arab spring.
In time it is likely that there will be a blood bath in the arab ME and israel will need every penny of resources to keep them outside killing each other instead of jews. Any internal hostility should be met with immediate transfer across a border. War, like the arab spring, has a habit of making law irrelvant…. ask the jews.
@ bernard ross:
CA argues well, and bases much of what he writes on relatively secure logic. Moreover, I have never noticed him openly insulting me in the same tenor as you have done in my response to one of Yamit’s frequent bursts of less than justified anger.
The case I wish to make here is that the commentaries on Israpundit ought to be as free of personal attacks as I find in American Thinker. I think Ted Belman would agree with me that such standards, enforced by the blogsite management, generates better discourse than what any unbiased observer would say that he or she has read on these pages today.
Am I an old fool? I think not, and neither do my family or my business friends. Nor did the great Rav Meir Kahane think that of me when I worked for him over the four years before his assassination. Nor did Dr Yisrael Eldad, who taught me authentic Zionism over so many Friday afternoons in his Jerusalem apartment in the early summer of 1974. Some of the best things about a long and productive life are true and unforgettable memories writ grandly across the scope of one’s own mind.
Do I lecture? I would be the last person to deny it. But imagine that capability and opportunity as one of HaShem’s final gifts to the elderly.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
CuriousAmerican Said:
why arent you getting these countries to dedicate visas now?
Not good???? gosh, who cares whether they are naturalized there, and who needs their permission… did you not notice the millions of pals in those same arab countries in spite of their…. protocols. if the hostiles are deposited across the borders in syria, lebanon and gaza… they will be resettled or they will destroy their new hosts… win win. As for those to Gaza, they can pay the smugglers to leave for europe, with a few extra K to bring down the cost. why try to replace that which works. Instead of replacing it, expand and implement. These basic principles at work:
1- FACT: they will pay to go to europe with life and fortune.
2-FACT: once they are across a border they become someone elses problem
3- FACT: once they are across a border they become a destabilizer to the enemy, an added benefit, which requires them to act.
4- FACT: once they are across the border they never get back
5- FACT: Israel has demonstrated even before its birth, the ability to work with criminal smuggling networks or create their own.
6- FACT: Israel has the logistical ability to move large groups of people across borders as demonstrated in Yamit and gaza.
7- FACT: those entities which do not have the benefit of treaty with Israel( e.g. Syria, Lebano, Gaza) are fair game and prey, and nothing is lost by driving their future plagues into their arms. If the hashemites fall then another destination opens.
these are proven facts which point a light towards proven paths.
Its for the jews to decide if they want to keep following the advice and suggestions of their 2000 year killers.
CuriousAmerican Said:
I am advocating war not crime. Europe is and has been at war with the jews. At the moment it is covert but it is illegal and damaging. the criminal actions of the Euros must be stopped and when “Law” fails other means must be used, like the targeting of terrorists for assassination. I am saying that Jews employ the euros own proxies that they employ to kill Jews to plague their employers instead. dont you think that would be ironic justice?
CuriousAmerican Said:
up until my last post to AH I did not call you arrogant but your repeated projection accusing yourself made me realize that you are indeed arrogant to come here and rub Jews faces in shit.
CuriousAmerican Said:
You did not deal with any of my criticisms of your plan. You have no statements from countries you say will accept them by the millions, you have no Jews interested in funding these high costs which would not bring peace but deprive Israel of resources which could be spent on military resources, you propose places that are contrary to the proven places pals show they want to go and are even risking their lives and spending 10K to go, you ignore the enormous funding now spent on the pals by the real criminals: the arabs and euros…….
Surely if your idea is any good you would be showing them how your figures can save them billions and show an end of tunnel exit strategy. surely the euros and arabs would want to use their money to end their drain of resources? if you cant convince the criminal now spending the money then your idea is BS.
Instead you are focused on convincing the Jews rather than focused on convincing the others… that is not a coincidence,
CuriousAmerican Said:
didn’t they also bat around Iraq? Didn’t they have a great idea about democratizing the ME? You must get beyond citing individual irrelevant cases and persons as being meaningful.
Get the countries to say they will accept the pals, then seek money from the euros and arabs showing them how much money you can save them with your brilliant scheme… after that fails come with your Jew bilking scheme.
there are two currently successful methods of emigration both voluntary and involuntary: the criminal networks where the pals pay 10k a person to go to europe and 50% want to leave but do not have the money… you ignore and dismiss this saying it is criminal and I say it works, satisfies market demand and speaks to a reduction of price which will increase clientele. it is absurd to speak of criminality against criminals.
The second clearly successful method is the IS method of forcing emigration and driving supposedly hundreds of thousands across borders. No need for such harsh methods: buses across the border, dropping off the hostiles(already tested in Gaza against the jews)… this will put the problem into the hands of the euros, the UN and the arabs and when there is no hope of return they will either pay to resettle or their govs will be destabilized from the pals.
Your plan is a baloney pipe dream and you have done nothing to get it moving. Get statements from the south american countries you tout.
CuriousAmerican Said:
baloney, you ignore better solutions, with lower costs that are currently proving successful because you want to bilk the jews; you want to see Jews paying money…. a twisted form of perverted punishment.
CuriousAmerican Said:
where is the evidence of your libel that I am prideful or arrogant?
ArnoldHarris Said:
If you hadve been following the CA MO for a couple of years you should know that Yamits “antipathy”, and mine, are based on a long series of threads. the last comment is merely a prologue and taking it out of context seems disingenuous. However, the comment expresses and exposes the superficiality and arrogance that CA has displayed towards the Jews in his years of comment.
ArnoldHarris Said:
No, it would definitely be more offensive to ignore it. As offensive as those who ignored the small libels of anti semites that blossomed into the larger libels that led to incitement to pogrom and murder. I know you have a habit of coming in at the end of the show and pontificating on the final scene as if nothing happened prior but surely you could not have missed the fact that CA merely repeats over and over the same mantra which tells the Jews that no one but them will pay, that the jews MUST pay,…. it is about making Jews pay, not about solving problems. Surely you have not missed in the past his equations of Jewish behavior with pal and christian behavior?
ArnoldHarris Said:
Those that libel Jews, IMO are guilty of attempted murder and genocide. Libels always preceded incitement and pogroms. CA has a habit of stealth libel, stealth insult. if you have been unable to see this it merely points to your incapacity. I am personally attacked when such MO’s are displayed. But why do you believe that you have the correct reaction to his behavior and why do you believe you are a judge of others reactions? I have no need to censor him but he must suffer the rebuke deserved of his MO. Your analysis is flawed.
ArnoldHarris Said:
You are beginning to sound like a pontificating old fool who takes himself too seriously. At your age you should only be lecturing to the young, perhaps you got carried away with an inflated self image of yourself as the teacher.
Shabbat shalom.
@ yamit82:
Aware as you certainly are that CA is a non-Jew, how could you expect him to know what is or isn’t an appropriate greeting to any practicing Jew regarding Shabat?
If he gets on your nerves merely by commenting on Israpundit, wouldn’t it be less offensive to his dignity — and yours — if you were to simply ignore him?
Ted Belman has been kind enough to allow comments on this blogsite from persons of all kinds of social and religious backgrounds. I think that implies that all of us should refrain from personally attacking them if they treat us accordingly.
In any case, Shabat shalom to you. Which ought to have been your response to CA. Think about it.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
CuriousAmerican Said:
Fool the Shabbat is not a party or an event to wish someone a “GREAT SABBATH’ Your choice of greetings show your arrogance, bigotry against Jews and total ignorance as to what the Shabbat is to Jews.
CuriousAmerican Said:
No it’s not doable and I don’t hate all goyim just certain ones like you. Is that honest enough for you? Arrogance is for any non Jew especially a Jew hater like you to be so presumptuous to tell us what to do or believe they know what’s best for us than we ourselves. 😛
It does seem a bit arrogant at times. I am sure that you can express your pride in a better way.
HAVE A GREAT SABBATH!
I do have Jewish pride – no apology for that. I am thankful that my Jewishness has sustained me. Not all are so fortunate. I suppose it may seem arrogant that I am very pleased that I have survived anti-Semitism and ignorance. I look forward to the future. Shabbat Shalom!
The only prideful arrogance I see comes from you and Mr. Ross.
Money will only be disbursed to settled individuals, so there is no chance of loss.
The project has been batted about already by the State Dept. Condolezza Rice had suggested South America in 2008.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jan/24/condoleezza-rice-palestinian-refugees-south-america
This is doable if you would dispense with your, “let’s hate the goyim” attitude.
You are advocating crime?!
And you call me, “arrogant?”
May I suggest to any Christian who visits the pages of Israpundit to take a look at the post “Israel is the needed lifeboat for French Jews”.
This rapper is a Christian. Now I know that rap music may not be a fave – but listen to his lyrics. He gets it! Unlike many Christians who have commented here.
It’s a form of emotional rape to call a Jew a bigot or racist because a Jew objects to the churches handling of the Jewish people – in the past and present. Trying to dig up past transgressions from thousands of years ago that have already been dealt with and either forgiven or punished by Hashem is playing G-d.
The difference here is that the Church has neither repented or been made accountable yet for the ongoing persecution against the Jewish people. That does not make all ‘goyim’ bad or all Christians bad. I think that has also been stated here – unfortunately it is usually the Christians who want to ‘teach us a thing or two’ that tend to comment here. Too proud and arrogant to learn from us.
CuriousAmerican Said:
I gave you plans and solutions already proven and in existence that require no permissions are unilateral and show that they work:
1- expand covertly existing criminal smuggling networks to europe and lower the price pals pay to leave to make the option more accessible to them
2- Seek to deport them at every opportunity that presents itself such as breach of oslo, rioting, terror, anti semitism, etc by simply dropping them across borders that have no benefit of treaty with Israel such as syria, lebanon and gaza. Once their the internationals and arabs will pay or suffer destabilization andd civil war from the influx. They already have the infrastructure in place to pay them. Tens of thousands of refugees are right now demonstrating this model in Jordan, syria, Iraq, Lebano, and Turkey. We can easily see how well it can work.
You provide no support of acceptance by anyone, of financing from anyone, of compliance by the arabs, etc and yet your plan is totally dependent on agreement from all involved when all involved prove daily they can not agree on these issues. My plans are already in action but yours are an expensive ponzi scheme pipe dream
Your problem, aside from your personal pathology, is that you are limited by the box you are thinking inside of to already acceptable PC “solutions” that dint work rather than exploitng that which daily proves itself. DUH????????????????
In my view every anti semite should be immediately deported from Israel unceremoniously… a mandatory on the spot dropping across any border with a boot up the butt and no returns allowed. I would put Lt. Eisnor in charge of this important program. Same for any euro found sabotaging Israel in YS.