The Israeli-Palestinian Peace Conundrum

Ever since Israel’s miraculous victories in the Six Day War (1967) and the Yom Kippur War (1973), the world has pressured Israel to return the land gained in defense against her neighbors’ belligerence. Egypt was the first country to break with the “Three No’s” (no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel) position defined by the Muslim world during the Khartoum Conference. This led to the return of the entire Sinai Peninsula, an area of land significantly larger than all of Israel, to Egypt in exchange for what has become a chilly peace. A member of his military rewarded Egyptian President Anwar Sadat for his unprecedented bold initiatives with his assassination during a victory parade in response to a Fatwa declared by Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman. Subsequently, Jordan too reached a peace with Israel. Each of these two peace agreements was unique due to Egypt and Jordan refusing to accept a complete return of conquered lands. Egypt refused the Gaza while Jordan refused the West Bank (Judea and Samaria), leaving both to become much of the friction and violence towards Israel and was also instrumental with the Palestinian revolution that brought Lebanon to its current state of unrest.

Once again, we find ourselves witnessing the maniacal insanity that is the Palestinian-Israel on again-off again peace talks. Israel instituted a ten month Building Freeze in all areas outside the Green Line, even to include Jerusalem, to facilitate a start to the “Peace Process”. Palestinian leader Mamoud Abbas deceitfully refused to come to the table until only five weeks were left in the Building Freeze. Immediately, President Abbas and the Palestinian supporters made the entire peace talks solely about the unfairness that the window of opportunity resulting from the Building Freeze has passed by and it would be unfair to expect the Palestinians to ignore this fact. Hypocrisy at its finest. Now, the debate has come down to the Arab League and Abbas have graciously offered to continue the talks for one month while the United States and all other governmental and non-governmental forces take all steps necessary to force Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to break his promise and extend the Building Freeze another sixty days. Odds are, should the Building Freeze be extended, Abbas would again fritter away six or seven weeks leaving merely days before the restart of building. Abbas would then again make extending the freeze further, rinse repeat, thus avoiding ever having to actually negotiate peace with Israel.

We can expect that Palestinian President Abbas will receive complete cover and support from most of Europe, the entire Muslim World, Russia, China, and many in the United States, especially those in the State Department. Virtually all the pressure, threats, demands, and criticisms will be leveled against Israel blaming her for intransigence and refusing to remove the stumbling block that is the Building Freeze. France has already announced their intent to recognize a Palestinian State even if it was formed by decree and not through peace negotiations.

One might wonder why President Abbas is obviously avoiding addressing final peace negotiations and paving the path to a Palestinian State, the presumed reason that Israel is accused. The answer is the proverbial 800-pound gorilla in the room; a new state would include new elections. Abbas has been avoiding holding elections as the results of the last Parliamentary Elections showed the preeminence of Hamas over Fatah. Anything that would bring about elections is a direct threat to President Abbas’s comfortable life and hold on power. Further, a peace would likely remove the IDF presence in much of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) and the enforcement of both the rule of law and the status-quo. Should Israeli forces be removed to borders even close to resembling the Green Line, it would be simply a matter of weeks, if not days, before Hamas would take control just as they did after Israel pulled out of Gaza. Abbas probably also fears that after a Hamas coup, he very likely could be brought up on charges of corruption or other charges and would very likely face lengthy prison time or worse. In many ways, a peace with Israel would, in all reality, be a death sentence for many in Fatah and Palestinian Authority, thus the outright avoidance of serious peace negotiations.

My Peace Plan: Israel should occupy the original partition...all land east of the Jordan...the Palestinians are a phony peoples made up of Egyptians, Syrians, and Jordanians and should return to their respective countries...the Arab states should be informed that their genocidal tendencies and hostility will not be tolerated or indulged any longer...force will be met with superior force...and that Westerners are going to snap out of the lull they’ve been in for decades and put an end to this maddness. Maybe we could threaten to carpet bomb Meeca with massive amounts of pork?

Thanks bsaunders for sharing your thoughts (the temptation to make a joke about that was successfully resisted).

Ever since Israel's miraculous victories in the Six Day War (1967) and the Yom Kippur War (1973), the world has pressured Israel to return the land gained in defense against her neighbors' belligerence. Egypt was the first country to break with the "Three No's" (no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel) position defined by the Muslim world during the Khartoum Conference.

Here’s a plan: Tell the Palestinians that unless and until the Palestinians stop shooting and killing Israelis immediately and get serious, this is what they face.

The Israelis move (shrink) the border 1,000 yards (shrinking the Palestinian terrirory).

After securing the new border, the Israelis bring in bulldozers and level everything within the 1,000 yard strip. Every time the Palestinians shoot or try to bomb Israelis, shrink the border and bulldoze everything and fill it in, thus increasing the kill zone between Israels and Palestinians.

Several things might result: 1) The Palestinians get serious about negotiations (outside chance) or 2) pushed by a shrinking land area the Palestinians start killing each other as other loons keep shooting at Israelis, followed by more shrinking borders.

This is a win-win: 1) The Israelis get land suitable for development and 2) the Palestinians kill each other off (with Israeli help). No Palestinians, no problem.

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