A Jordanian Solution

The King of Jordan could ensure peace and prosperity in the West Bank

The same broken, fractured and thoroughly discredited paradigm based on the concept that Israel and whoever is in charge of the Palestinians can somehow negotiate a lasting peace is STILL the only solution that is being discussed.

This is ridiculous and absurd. The Palestinian people are fractured, chaotic and in no position to speak on their own behalf about anything. During the period of Arafat the Palestinian Authority was corrupt and showed little interest in truly building anything of value for the Palestinian people. Mahmoud Abbas is weak and barely controls the West Bank. Gaza is controlled by a bunch of thugs and stark raving madmen who live only to play out the violent fantasies of wealthy Qatari and Saudi sheiks.

The simple fact is that there is no Palestinian government with which to negotiate, and certainly no Palestinian government that would be capable maintaining a truce with Israel against Palestinian forces of violence both internal and external. Therefore, attempts to seek a resolution on these grounds is simply a formula to perpetuate the status quo ad infinitum.

The only solution I see is for the bordering nations to make the Palestinian lands their own. Frankly, it shocks me that no one I know of is also promoting this argument. NO ONE. Bizarre.

Jordan is a peaceful country with a benevolent monarch who is an ally of the U.S. Egypt is a huge nation that has gone through major upheaval but which has remained oriented to the West and supported by Washington. Placing the West Bank in the hands of Jordan and the Gaza Strip in the hands of Egypt would be like pouring buckets of water on a smoldering fire.

In Gaza, the influx of Egyptians (and exodus of Gazans to other parts) would completely change the character of Gaza. Hamas would have to overcome the daunting Egyptian military before they could successfully launch their rockets into Israel, and would invariably quit. Gaza would become a tourist destination for people from around the world.

In the West Bank, the stability that comes from being part of Jordan would lead to foreign investment into factories that take advantage of the large, relatively low-wage workforce in the region to supply Israel and the world with manufactured goods. Israeli settlement expansion would cease, since further expansion would infringe on internationally-recognized borders of an existing nation-state.

Therefore, once and for all, PLEASE STOP TRYING TO GET THE PALESTINIANS TO TALK TO THE ISRAELIS -- IT IS A HUGE JOKE! Instead, get the Egyptian, the Jordanians, the Israelis, and a U.N. representative around a table and negotiate things like demarcation lines, water rights and electrical supply rates.

While the Palestinians may grumble about not getting a nation-state as they may aspire, they know that they never had one and that anything that creates territorial and economic stability in the region is in their, and the word's, best interest.

An Egyptian Solution

Life in the Gaza Strip has not been going well.

Its 1.8 million occupants live crammed into a tiny parcel of land, fenced in by Israel and Egypt and unable to leave. For the past six years, Israel has had the Gaza Strip under a constant siege, blockading travel and supplies from air, land and sea. Only items that Israel approves can be brought into Gaza (for a detailed list, click here), and many basic necessities of life are restricted. Hardly anyone is ever allowed in or out, and fishing boats are prevented from going out to sea.

In other words, the Gaza Strip is essentially a prison camp, and has been for over fifty years. The international consensus is that enough is enough.

The people of Gaza need international status, they need passports and the ability to travel. The fishermen of Gaza need to be able to sail to sea to seek their catch. The workers of Gaza need the freedom to move to where the jobs are. The relatives of Gaza residents need to be able to come to Gaza to visit their loved ones.

However, Israel needs a Gaza Strip that it can live with. It needs a Gaza with whom it can trade goods without fear of bombings or rocket attacks. It needs a good neighbor.

It seems clear to me that an autonomous Gaza Strip will not be able to peacefully co-exist with Israel, even in the context of a broader Palestinian peace agreement. Quite simply, there has been too much suffering by the Gazans at the hands of Israel and Israelis at the hands of Hamas; and, the presence of Hamas inside Gaza virtually guarantees that the Gaza Strip will serve as launching pad for attacks on Israel as long as Hamas is in control of the territory.

Therefore, I propose that the Gaza Strip be integrated into Egypt, and that the residents be granted Egyptian citizenship.

Although Egypt has been at war with Israel twice, most recently in 1967, there have been no overt hostilities between Egypt and Israel since that time. In fact, Egypt has worked cooperatively with Israel to try to prevent the flow of restricted goods (such as rocket parts) into Gaza. Unlike governments in other parts of the Middle East, Egypt does not overtly foment conflict in the occupied territories.

If Gaza becomes part of Egypt, and its residents granted Egyptian passports, the Egyptian Army can establish peace and order within Gaza, taking control away from Hamas. Gazans will be able to leave Gaza and travel around. Fishing boats will be able to once again ply their trade on the open seas. And, the Gazans will not have their lives controlled by Israel, but instead be members of a predominantly Muslim country,

Importantly, Israel, with the backing of the international community, will hold Egypt responsible for what goes on inside Gaza. It will be in Egypt's interest to prevent terrorists from launching attacks on Israel from within Gaza, since those attacks could risk sanctions or even another Israeli-Egyptian war. Based on the way that the Egyptian military has maintained control in Cairo I have no doubt that order can be maintained in Gaza, as well.