A Palestine? After These 6 Things come to Fruition

from Dr. Mitchell Bard

I was asked what I thought of Mitchell, the foreign Minister and Netanyahu's responses about not going for another state next to Israel called Palestine right now, and find I am in full agreement with Dr. Mitchell Bard's ideas below. I fell quite sure that Benjamin Netanyahu would be, too. I'm just surprised that our USA has never seen the light of this before. But then they were dealing with Olmert.

Britannica Blog: Shock Therapy for the MideastBy Mitchell Bard

For the last 40 years, Middle East peace efforts have focused on coercing Israel to make concessions. This one-sided approach is based on the belief that the United States only has leverage over Israel, that UN resolutions obligate Israel to withdraw from territory and that relations with the Arab world depend on satisfying their demands. If President Obama wants to change the 60 year record of failed diplomacy, he must jettison this approach and apply shock therapy by taking steps to disabuse the Palestinians of many of the illusions that prevent them from reaching an agreement with Israel.

1) Make clear that violence will never lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. No Israeli government will make concessions so long as its citizens are under attack. After ending the "occupation" of Gaza and being bombarded by more than 6,000 missiles Israel cannot be expected to consider territorial concessions unless Obama holds the Palestinians to their road map promise to stop terror and incitement against Israel.

2) State that the future borders of Israel and Palestine must take into account current demographic realities. President Clinton envisioned that the major settlement blocs, where tens of thousands of Israelis reside, would be incorporated into Israel. The Palestinian state could still be contiguous and incorporate 95-97 percent of the West Bank. The Palestinians could also receive additional territory elsewhere in exchange for the 3-5 percent of West Bank territory annexed to Israel.

3) Move the U.S. embassy to West Jerusalem. This is the capital of Israel and will remain so under any conceivable negotiated solution. This step does not preclude negotiations to establish the capital of the Palestinian state in part of Jerusalem, but it would erase Arab fantasies about the permanence of Israel's presence.

4) Insist that the Palestinian Authority reform textbooks. If Israelis and Palestinians are to coexist, the younger generation of Palestinians cannot continue to be taught that Israel does not exist, that Jews have no history in their homeland and that Islam requires them to fight infidels and become martyrs.

5) Support the settlement of Palestinian refugees in the Palestinian state. No Israeli leader will acknowledge a "right of return;" therefore, an international compensation fund should be created to facilitate the resettlement of refugees in the West Bank and Gaza upon the signing of a Palestinian-Israeli peace agreement.

6) Condition relations with Arab allies on their support for American peace efforts. President Obama should not continue to lavish aid and arms on states that vote against us more than 90 percent of the time at the UN and undermine our policies. These Arab states should be expected to end the boycott of Israel and take steps toward normalization.These policies may appear unbalanced but they will force Israel to make tough compromises as well. If violence ceases, Israel will have less justification for holding territory. Settlements outside the blocs recognized by the U.S. would probably have to be dismantled and the border of Israel and Palestine would approach the 1949 armistice line. Israel's capital would be recognized, but the predominantly Arab parts of Jerusalem would likely be ceded to the Palestinian state. Thousands of Palestinians would probably be admitted to Israel on a humanitarian basis.

Obama cannot allow fear of Arab disapproval to drive his policy. History has shown that our Arab allies need us much more than we need them. That is why, contrary to conventual State Department wisdom, relations with the Arab states have improved as the U.S.-Israel alliance solidified.The Palestinians will not agree to end the conflict with Israel if they believe terror can force Israel to capitulate, if they think the United States or others will force Israel to dismantle all the West Bank settlements and give up Jerusalem, or if they believe Israel can be forced to recognize a "right of return" for the Palestinian refugees. By taking the suggested steps, President Obama can stimulate both Palestinians and Israelis to negotiate from more realistic positions.

The Palestinians may still choose their historic path of never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity, but they will do so knowing that they are unlikely to find a more sympathetic American leader in the future.

Resource: Dr. Mitchell Bard