[They’ve got my vote.]
Introduction
This document presents the background and plan for the creation of a lasting peace in the Middle East. It proposes a blueprint for solving the Palestinian refugee problem, while maintaining a secure and strong Israel.
Traditional approaches to the Middle East conflict have been based on a land-for-peace paradigm. This approach has failed repeatedly because it has always placed the onus of solving the Palestinian refugee problem on Israel alone.
This proposal differs from previous approaches by involving all Arab countries in solving the Palestinian refugee problem in terms of territory, funding, culture, and religion.
For reasons of practical implementation, this proposal divides the plan into long-term and short-term components.
Facts:
1. The Jewish nation has earned its right to exist within secure borders.
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a. Jews conquered the land of Canaan 3,000 years ago; they reconquered it in 1882, 1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973.
b. There has been a continuous and significant Jewish presence in Palestine for over 2,000 years.
c. With the Balfour Declaration in 1917, Britain (the Mandatory ruler at the time) not only recognized the Jews’ right to a home in their ancestral land, but also committed itself to working to create such a home in an area including both sides of Jordan River (including today’s Jordan).
d. The League of Nations and the international community reaffirmed the Balfour Declaration on August 12, 1922.
e. United Nations Resolution 181 (II) of November 29, 1947 confirmed once again the right of the Jewish nation to live in Israel, and proposed a division of Palestine into two states. While the Jews accepted this resolution, all Arab countries opposed it, and attacked Israel on May 14, 1948, the day of its rebirth.
f. According to international law, land lost by an aggressor belongs to the successful defender.
2. Only a strong Israel can survive
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a. Israel has never called for the destruction of another sovereign country. In contrast, even today, the destruction of Israel is a stated aim of many of its neighbors and factions within them, such as Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah.
b. Israel is therefore under continuous threat. It needs to substantially improve its surveillance and intelligence. It needs to equip itself to repel such threats.
c. Land for peace has not worked in Gaza, and it will not work in the West Bank. Arab rhetoric, Palestinian schoolbooks, and mosque sermons consistently deny the legitimacy of the Jewish state. Any sign of negotiated land for peace is understood by the Arabs to show weakness. This situation provides Israel’s enemies with the possibility of Israel’ piecemeal destruction.
d. Consistent and unceasing demonstration of effective military power, coupled with a unified diplomatic ideology, should eventually disabuse the Arab dream of Israel’s destruction. Jihadist ideology will never give up on the destruction of Israel as long as Israel and its allies show weakness. Unfortunately, compromise is interpreted as weakness.
e. Therefore, any hostile activities should be effectively neutralized. Wavering political will and lack of military preparedness, which hampered combat in the recent Lebanon war, must never occur again.
f. Israel exists in a de facto state of war with many of its neighbors; it cannot allow hostile elements operating within its borders. Any activities that sabotage the democratically elected government, regardless of the perpetrator’s ethnic affiliation, should be treated harshly and punished accordingly, e.g., Knesset Members cannot decide on their own to meet with enemy countries such as Syria.
3. The Palestinian refugees are a shared problem.
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a. A major portion of the Jewish homeland has already been given to the Palestinians. In 1923, Britain tore away more than two thirds of the area designated for the Jewish homeland and gave it to King Abdullah to form Transjordan, in violation of the 1922 League of Nations resolution and the spirit of the Balfour Declaration.
b. Arab countries were and are parties to the Palestinian refugee problem. Arab countries encouraged Arabs to leave Israel in 1948, promising them a victorious return upon the annihilation of Israel. As a result, more than 650,000 Arabs left Israel.
c. Arab neighbors have exacerbated the Palestinian refugee problem. Arab countries enacted laws to deprive Palestinian refugees and their descendants of citizenship, as well as equal participation in the local economy and society.
d. Arab neighbors have the capacity to solve the Palestinian refugee problem. First, total Arab lands measure 500 times the size of Israel; second, most of this land is uninhabited and short on human resources; third, these Arab countries, which are largely Muslim, share a religious, linguistic, and cultural heritage with the Palestinian refugees.
e. Arab countries also created a Jewish refugee problem. With the creation of Israel, most Arab countries engaged in state-sponsored anti-Semitic propaganda and pogroms against Jews. As a result, more than 800,000 Jews left Arab countries and emigrated to Israel, France, Canada, the US, and Latin America.
f. Israel, along with other Western countries, solved the Jewish refugee problem. Israel and the West have absorbed all Jewish refugees from Arab countries, built the necessary infrastructure, and provided Jewish refugees economic assistance, as well as everything they needed to get situated in their new home. As a result, a Jewish refugee problem no longer exists.
4. A Palestinian State within existing Israeli territory is not feasible. The land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea and the natural resources therein are insufficient to sustain two independent states.
Also, giving up the West Bank will create a major security threat to Israel, as is already apparent by the ongoing hostility from Gaza, wherefrom Israeli civilians withdrew.
The Plan: The Immediate Phase
1. Talks on the establishment of a Palestinian State will cease, effective immediately, as per the facts provided above.
2. Israel will declare its right to exist within its current borders, with no further surrender of territory, including the Golan Heights. After the lesson of the Gaza withdrawal, Israeli citizens will be assured, once and for all, that they will never again be forced from their homes. Israelis will continue to establish and develop communities wherever they so choose.
3. Israel will annex most of Judaea and Samaria. Annexation is a key element of this plan, to be applied immediately. The annexed areas will include all of Judea and Samaria except for Arab population centers such as Ramallah, Nablus, and Jericho, which will be designated as Arab Self-Ruled Areas. Arab residents of the annexed areas will be offered Israeli citizenship with all due rights and obligations under Israeli law.
4. Israel and its neighbors will jointly bear the costs of relocation. Israel will work together with neighboring countries to create a joint compensation and relocation program for those individuals residing in the annexed territories who choose to relocate.
5. Arab self-ruled areas. The population of the above-mentioned areas excluded from annexation will enjoy self-rule and eventually be confederated with Jordan. These territories will include accessways that ensure uninterrupted contiguity, so that life in these areas is conducted independent of Israel. The population of these areas will also have access to Jordan via a corridor that runs through the Jordan Valley.
6. Citizenship. All citizens, Jewish and Arab alike, will have equal rights and duties under Israeli law. Every citizen, including Arabs, must perform compulsory IDF or alternative civilian service.
7. Any threat to Israel and Israeli citizens will be dealt with decisively. Gaza, with the current buildup of terror and hostile acts, will be the first issue dealt with. Israel should not tolerate its citizens being under ongoing attack. Gaza has declared war on Israel, and Israel needs to respond swiftly and decisively. Unlike how the Hezbollah was handled during the 2nd Lebanon War, all sources of hostility in the Gaza Strip must be removed.
The Long-Term Plan: Peace and Security
1. Lasting peace in the Middle East is our long-term goal. We do not call for further territorial expansion, nor do we call for the destruction of any nation.
2. The Arabs must recognize Israel’s right to exist. This requirement must be met unconditionally before negotiating peace. Recognizing Israel’s right to exist must be an explicit and clear act, in contrast to unkept promises, e.g., the Oslo Accords.
3. Peace through partnership. All Middle Eastern countries must participate in solving the refugee problem.
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a. Upon adoption of the Immediate Plan, described above, Israel will absorb the Arab residents of the annexed areas.
b. Arab countries, which are fellow stakeholders in peace, will help the remaining Palestinian refugees as follows:
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I. Self-ruled areas within the West Bank – Financial aid will be required to support the self-ruled territories.
II. The Gaza Strip – Two elements are needed here: (a) territorial extension – Egypt will allow the Gaza Strip to reach El Arish. The Gaza Strip can more than quadruple in size by Egypt making a concession on a relatively marginal area; and (b) all Arab countries will provide financial aid.
The Long Term Plan: Social Welfare and Economy
This portion of the plan is not directly related to solving Israel’s securities issues. However, it is an essential component of the overall plan, as only a prosperous and united Israel can successfully face the challenges ahead.
1. Infrastructure. Continue massive investments in infrastructure, favoring underdeveloped areas, e.g., the Galilee and the Negev; investment in high-tech, including pharmaceuticals and biotech.
2. Expand tourism
3. Address the substantial economical gaps. Enable disenfranchised groups to progress financially and socially; invest more in re-energizing the declining educational system; provide better safety nets for those most vulnerable.
4. Taxation. Reduce taxation and create incentives for increased productivity and investment.
5. Privatization. Privatize most state-owned companies to enable fair competition and private initiative.
6. Incentives for increased legal immigration.
7. Simplify and increase land allocation.
OK, we have now heard the Likud World position which is more realistic and Jewish than the no Israeli Likud Israel Party, Lead BY BB!!!!
Lets examine fisrt the proposes plan to annex only Part of WB and Leave autonomous enclaves where there are large arab population centers. Look at any map of the WB and you can see it tis impossible to connect all without creating such gross misuse of the land per se but the actual division of the WB.
Go explain to the world who was Balfour, as if this would change anybodies thinking today or that we fought and were successful in 4 or 5 wars! Go explain till your blue in the face what and who is the League of Nations .Do we really want to bring up again before the world resolution 181 that divides what was left of the land of Israel even more and is certainly less than we have today? I hope not else the the world might demand and force return to such status quo anti.
Autonomy is too loose a term and I do not believe anyone would accept anyway.
Equal rights for non Jewish citizens sounds good to western ears but it also harbors the seed of our own future destruction and it against Jewish Law!
The Arabs will not give up their claim that we stole their land and will never thus not try in every case to try to get them back. Anything less will be unacceptable to them.
We do not as Jews initiate wars to attain territory and we wont I believe BUT if we gain parts of the historic land of Israel by defensive wars we are prohibited also by Jewish law to give, cede, trade, sell any part of the Land Of Israel to a non Jew. The Land of Israel Belongs Not only the the Jewish people alive today put to all future Generations of Jews as an inheritance. The principle is that the Land of Israel is a GIFT from God only to the Jewish People and who in his right mind therefore would consider refusing a gift from G-d? According to Jewish Law it is not our to trade!!
We state openly that our rights to the land are Biblical, Historical, Cultural, and they were stolen from us and now with G-ds help Part of our Inheritance has been returned to the whole Jewish Nation, and That what small part that we do have we intend to keep and if we get an opportunity we will get the rest.
No arab or non Jew shall have any National or Political rights or official offices like Judges and ministers in a Jewish Stat personal and civil rights yes but again no National or national/political rights. This is also Jewish Law. No non Jew shall own property in a Jewish state and if they do own property they must be forced if need be to sell at a fair or more than fair price to Jews. This is also Jewish Law. Non Jews allowed to Live in a Jewish State must accept their Status or Leave. We cannot have a large 5th column within our midst. No Jew Shall employ a non jew in the Land of Israel this is Jewish Law. We will respect the stranger It within our midst but not cede rights given only to Jews and they must behave or leave. It is not like they do not have options.
I do not think we should pay them to leave but I am not willing to write this in granit, if this will do the trick so be it!
Are my idea practical No! Can it be done yes; but
with different leadership and only after we have a major catastrophy in all probability.
I am not a religious Jew but I am a believing Jew and one as the years tick or race by am all the more convinced that with the Bible as our source we are unbeatable. The so called Hellenistic viewpoit as attracive as it may be has been our curse as a nation and religion and we must find our way back to our Jewish roots. Believe me we have Jewish roots. Otherwise we are left with a country under duress where nominal Jews or less can Hang out and speak Hebrew! Is that what is worth fighting and dieing for?
If it were only that easy.
Just kick ‘m out and be done with it.
Who authored this proposal?
There are a number of points that need tweaking if not conceptual revision, but the biggest problem with this proposal is that it runs smack into current conventional inside the box thinking and that includes Israeli thinking and would be stopped dead in its tracks if it was ever presented as a complete alternative peace proposal.
If the next GOI were to ever consider such an end game, they would be wise not to disclose their hand.
Rather, Israel would be wise to treat this new end game much akin to a jig saw puzzle that only they know what the picture will look like when the puzzle is completed.
If those who have this plan in mind gain not only influence, but become the next GOI, they had best get facts on the ground and concepts in people’s minds, one small fact and small concept at a time. Only once enough pieces to the new end game puzzle have been put in place will people be able to begin to see the benefit of that end game, the futility of the old end game and are ready, willing and able to abandon it and proceed to complete putting the rest of the pieces into the puzzle until the new end game picture emerges in its finality.
Better, but still unbiblical, and therefore wrong and doomed to fail, in that it gives up land God said not to give up.