Greetings, all
I was delighted to see Roger's post offering his view of a solution, and the
reasons for it. I will leave aside his supporting analysis (it has several
mistakes, IMO. E.g. the myth that the Palestinians have been mistreated by
other Arab countries -- we can take this up later if you wish to), but I
want to concentrate on where it takes him; he offers several critical and
useful propositions:
1. "I suggest that Israel immediately create an
independent Palestinian State using -- as an example -- the borders refused
by Arafat in 2000. Israel needs to either get her settlers out of these
areas, or let them take their chances as a part of the new Palestine."
Israel finally opposed the establishment of an independent Palestine,
reneging on what it had agreed to do in the Oslo accords. The Palestinians
would be delighted, and this is all that they have been asking for, even
since before Jewish settlers started to stream into Palestine. (See the
Hussein-McMahon correspondence, culminating in the Agreement to this effect
between the UK and Arabs.)
Arafat didn't 'refuse' borders in 2000; rather, Barak tried to negotiate a
reduction in the land that the Palestinians would have as per Oslo. It was
Barak, for whom I otherwise have considerable admiration, who reneged on
Oslo and tried to get the Palestinians to accept less than had already been
agreed upon. To no one's surprise (except, apparently, die-hard Israeli
supporters), the Palestinians turned down this further effort to take away
Palestinian lands from them.
That Israel must get its [post-1967] settlers out of the Palestinian areas
is the single most critical issue, as far as the Israelis are concerned. If
there is any single issue that marks the Likud party (Sharon's party) it is
the belief that ALL of Palestine 'belongs' to the Jews. IMO, the Likud has
systematically taken steps to make any peace impossible, so as not to
jeopardize this objective. Roger, you and I and everyone interested in a
true and lasting peace in the area will agree on this, but will the Israeli
government and people? Remember, it was precisely one of these settlers who
assassinated Barak. Does an Israeli politician who takes this position --
repatriation of the post-1967 Jewish settlements to Israel -- put himself in
the cross-hairs?
Thank you for the significant contribution.
Lawry
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-moq_discuss@venus.co.uk
> [mailto:owner-moq_discuss@venus.co.uk]On Behalf Of RISKYBIZ9@aol.com
> Sent: Sunday, April 14, 2002 4:32 PM
> To: moq_discuss@moq.org
> Subject: MD Middle East -- What is an MOQ Solution?
>
>
> As for MORAL solutions to the issue of Palestine and Israel, may
> I suggest
> that:
>
> 1) Israel needs to consider that its long term survival is very
> questionable
> due to the large contingent of people and cultures dedicated to
> exterminating
> it in Palestine and the broader Mideast. It is highly likely
> that over the
> next 20 to 30 years that these antisemitic factions will develop
> the means of
> mass destruction. To assume they won't use these means is
> absurd. The only
> hope the Israelies have is to have better neighbors when the technology
> arrives. Time is critical...
>
> 2) I believe the Palestinian question has always been a red herring. The
> broader issue is not about them and never has been. However, they are
> certainly a critical part of the current problem. They are a
> cruelly abused
> and mistreated people, by not just the Israelis, but by their
> fellow Arabs.
> Furthermore, they have been positioned into the situation where their own
> interests have been hijacked and replaced with a mandate -- or at least a
> subculture -- to destroy Israel. I suggest that Israel
> immediately create an
> independent Palestinian State using -- as an example -- the
> borders refused
> by Arafat in 2000. Israel needs to either get her settlers out of these
> areas, or let them take their chances as a part of the new Palestine.
>
> 3) Once Palestinians have a home again, they will need to build their own
> infrastructure, government, etc. The UN -- and the US and UK in
> particular
> -- should help fund and sponsor this process. My guess is they
> will still
> bicker with their neighbor over borders, but it seems to me better to get
> something started rather than wait for everyone to agree (especially when
> Arafat doesn't even want to agree). Violence and terrorism
> should be dealt
> with harshly -- very harshly (by the Israelies.) Once they have
> their own
> land, the Palestinians will begin to have something to lose. It
> seems to me
> that the only way to divert popular attention away from hate and
> toward the
> future is to give them a chance for one. Perhaps the haters will still
> prevail -- perhaps not.
>
> 4) The US must stop providing financial or military aid directly
> to Israel --
> the Israelies need to make it alone, and current assistance just incites
> animosity.
>
> 5) The US must stop giving any aid OF ANY TYPE to the dictators and
> theocracies of the middle east. They have some answering to do to their
> people. This could create unrest and anarchy, it could affect
> oil supplies,
> but until these countries go through the growth pains toward
> modernity and
> self rule, they will drag the whole world down with them. The UN and US
> should support any fledgling democracies in the area (with the
> exclusion of
> Israel).
>
> 6) A coalition needs to ensure that weapons of mass destruction
> are not built
> in this area. Furthermore, the international coalition needs to
> ensure that
> none of these turbulent states encroaches on any neighbor's borders.
>
> I believe the above fits in with the MOQ. It allows people and
> nations the
> freedom to have a chance to evolve and build a healthy,
> sustainable society.
> Also, it removes the safe but disfunctionally static and archaic,
> exploitative low-level dictatorships and theocracies from these people.
>
> Thoughts? Corrections? Insults? Better ideas? I am sure some
> people know a
> lot more about the situation than I do, so feel free to attack
> with both a
> pencil and an eraser.
>
> Rog
>
>
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