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By Bruce S. Ticker
December 25, 2006
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Jordan's King Abdullah II reaffirmed his support for a Palestinian state on condition that it does not spur an influx of West Bank Arabs into his country. "Jordan will not accept an unjust settlement of the issue, nor will Jordan accept any settlement that comes at its expense," the king told Jordan's Parliament on Nov. 28.
We can likely rule out Abdullah's interest in annexing portions of the West Bank in place of a Palestinian state.
It was part of an established pattern that some days later the Iraq Study Group headed by James Baker urged the creation of a Palestinian state. The 10-person panel is right about one point: A comprehensive plan is needed to stabilize the Middle East, but it is not an original idea and could be utterly unworkable. Their view on Israel is especially questionable:
"There must be a renewed and sustained commitment by the United States to a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace on all fronts: Lebanon, Syria and President Bush's June 2002 commitment to a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. This commitment must include direct talks with, by and between Israel, Lebanon, Palestinians (those who accept Israel's right to exist) and Syria."
The study group's statement is loaded with assumptions: Who among these Arab leaders and their people support Israel's right to exist? Hamas and Fatah are killing their own to seize full power. Syria co-sponsored an all-out war against Israel. Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Sinoira said he will not talk peace with Israel and, besides, he now has bigger problems because of Hezbollah's attempt to oust him.
Above all, why must it be a two-state solution? Both Gaza and the West Bank are dreadfully small to constitute a sovereign nation. Gaza is smaller in both population and geographic size than Miami-Dade County, which has evolved into a Jewish refuge of its own. The establishment of a Palestinian state would probably require a special highway and/or train route that cuts through southern Israel to link Gaza to the West Bank.
One sensible solution comes to mind, though reality likely precludes this concept from ever seeing the light of day. Instead of creating a Palestinian state, Jordan and Egypt can each assume a major role. Egypt could annex Gaza, and through negotiations Israel can turn over portions of the West Bank to Jordan. The prime advantages combine obvious cultural, religious and geographical elements.
Most observers might respond that it will never happen, so why explore the idea? Because when you think about it, a two-state solution makes no sense and would disrupt Israel's undertakings.
Gaza is adjacent to Egypt and the West Bank is next to Jordan. Gaza is a 20-mile stretch of coastal land that would extend Egypt's shoreline northward. Jordan and the West Bank are separated only by the narrow Jordan River.
Most inhabitants of Gaza and the West Bank are Muslims just like the vast majority of Egyptians and Jordanians, and they share many of the same customs and traditions. They can travel from airports in Egypt and Jordan. Perhaps they can be granted limited self-governance with their lands as provinces of Egypt and Jordan.
Because of their larger military forces, Jordan and Egypt would also have a powerful advantage so they can subdue extremist elements such as Hamas. One would think.
One can think a lot of things, but this concept will likely always remain just that, a concept. The most prominent reason is that Egypt and Jordan probably want nothing to do with the people who would be living in Gaza and the West Bank. If Jordan's Abdullah does not want the Palestinians to enter Jordan, why would he want to administer the same populace in the West Bank? It was their parents' generation that tried to overthrow his father more than three decades ago. Egypt has had trouble with inhabitants in the Sinai and has been unwilling or unable to prevent arms smuggling and tunnel-building between Gaza and the Egyptian border.
Neither Abdullah nor Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak are blind. They are well aware of the endless warring between factions in the territories. If they were to seize control of the territories, their armies would probably get bogged down in a quagmire. The terrorists would be no less a formidable challenge for Jordan and Egypt as they are for Israel.
In all these years, I do not recall Egypt seeking Gaza's return. It would not be the first time that Israel handed Gaza back to Egypt. Israeli forces seized Gaza during the 1956 war with Egypt and subsequently restored it to Egypt's control.
The prospect of involving Egypt and Jordan is still worth considering because the Arab countries have forever neglected their responsibilities to their fellow Arabs. They have allowed the Palestinians to live under hopeless conditions while the world blamed Israel. True, Egypt and Jordan are poor countries themselves, but one cannot say the same for Saudi Arabia and other oil-rich nations. They could at least fund social programs which Jordan and Egypt would administer.
In addition, the Palestinians have, in all seriousness, demanded a special highway and possibly a train that would cut across southern Israel to transport supplies and people from Gaza to the West Bank. Why should the people of Israel proper be inconvenienced? Such a project would cost billions of dollars that could be better spent on building a functioning society for the Arabs.
It was Israel that agreed to an independent Palestinian state at Camp David in 2000. After six years of attacks and civil war, Israelis have every right to be tired of this. Perhaps it is the Arabs' turn to take the initiative. If the Arab countries won't or can't, and if Israel has done all it can, then the future looks awfully bleak for the Palestinians.
To be fair, I should point out a pro-Palestinian argument: Alaska is separated from the United States mainland by Canada, so why can't Gaza and the West Bank be jointly governed? Perhaps it helps that Canada and the United States live in peace together.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
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