By Ted Belman
November 29, 2005
President Moshe Katsav in a recent interview underscored that, more than any time in the past, the upcoming election will be a referendum on Israel's borders and so it will.
Peretz opposes the right of return or the division of Jerusalem but wants to immediately negotiate a peace agreement with the Palestinians wherein Israel would essentially return to the '67 borders.
Sharon, on the other hand, believes that a negotiated peace is not possible and so intends unilateral moves whereby Israel retains Jerusalem and about five percent of Judea and Samaria. The security barrier would thus become Israel's unrecognized borders. Recent polls have shown a commanding lead for Sharon's new party Kadima.
Likud is still in the starting blocks. It will probably take the position of no more unilateral withdrawals until a final agreement with the Palestinians is reached, but that agreement will only come after they fully dismantle the terror infrastructure as required by the Roadmap.
So, in effect, all parties are prepared to withdraw to varying degrees and according to different preconditions. In effect, Labour and Kadima accept the two-state solution as envisioned by the Roadmap and Likud is paying lip service to it because its preconditions are unlikely to be fulfilled.
The desire to withdraw is driven by a widely disseminated demographic myth that the Arabs outnumber Jews west of the Jordan. Most people are unaware of a demographic study completed this year which concluded that there are only 1.4 million Arabs in Judea and Samaria, of which it is estimated between 100,000 and 300,000 have already infiltrated into Israel. If Israel were to annex these territories, the Jews would constitute 67% of the combined population. This percentage has remained constant since '67.
Furthermore, in embracing the two-state solution, no one seems to factor in the Looming Demographic Catastrophe thereafter.
"Once a provisional Palestinian State is declared on the West Bank, 500,000 Arabs will be immediately and easily absorbed. As the Arab population in that Palestinian State grows, Israeli Arabs will recognize the long-term trends and the ultimate Palestinian demographic dominance of the area between the Jordan River and the Sea and they will begin to exert increasing pressure on the Israeli government. Demands for special rights, rejection of the Jewish State and the wish to be identified with their brothers and cousins living on the other side of the Wall will mount; identification with Palestinian nationalism, flag and anthem will grow. The ongoing infiltration of illegal immigrants into Israel will expand."
"A demand that Israel relinquish all territory captured through 'military adventurism and aggression' will be heard throughout the world and in the UN. The green line will be identified not as an international border but solely as the 1948-1949 armistice line. No formal treaty ever recognized and no Arab entity ever accepted Israel's right to exist as a Jewish State. No Palestinian Arab entity ever relinquished claims to its part of the 1947 partition plan, or indeed to all of 'Palestine.' The international community, especially in light of the long-term claims that Israel forcefully evicted civilians from their homes in 1948, will decide to no longer recognize the acquisition of land through military conquest. Pressures will increase on Israel to cede control of parts of the Galilee and Negev to the Palestinian State."
In recognition of the above, Dr. Michael Wise, a co-author of the Demographic Study, proposed a Jewish One State Plan -- not to be confused with a secular Bi-National State.
According to this Plan, Israel would formally annex the territory west of the Jordan River exclusive of Gaza and make it an integral and irreversible part of Israel. Arabs residents would be offered options regarding citizenship and or permanent residency which will be phased in over a fifteen year period to allow for adjustment to the mentality of the somewhat hostile population and to facilitate a smooth transition. The PA would be dissolved and all members of terrorist organizations would be expelled.
He recommends a subsidy for those choosing to emigrate.
To further stabilize matters, he recommends a new constitution which would establish a Senate, like in the US, comprised of 60 representatives from 15 districts, 4 of which would be predominantly Arab and the remaining 11 would be Jewish. Just as in the US, where each state has varying populations, there is no need for these districts to be equal in population. Matters of national concern and security will require the approval of both Houses. The Knesset will be reduced to 60 seats.
To effect this plan, Israel would have to
- adopt a new constitution which would, inter alia, create the Senate and reform the courts
- formally annex the territories
- dismantle the PA
- outlaw all terrorist organizations
- outlaw all hate speech including anti-semitic speech
- outlaw the promotion of martyrdom in any way
- disband and disarm all security forces
- outlaw all guns and ammunition and explosives in private hands
- replace all Arab textbooks
- provide welfare for all Arab residents in the absence of international aid. (This would be a lot cheaper then spending $12 billion to evacuate 80,000 Israelis)
Despite this extensive to-do list, the benefits of such a Plan highly recommend it instead of the unworkable Two State solution.
Simply put, it would end the occupation, end the incitement, end the border dispute, end the need to "deal" with Jerusalem, end the need for population transfers, end the conflict experienced by Arab Israelis vis-a-vis their Arab brethren in Judea and Samaria, solve the viability problem and allow Israel to get on with building a Jewish democratic state, from the Mediterranean to the Jordan.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
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