I believe the best way to peace is to keep the settlements in place and nurture and grow them. Arabs do have their good side, as I’ve discovered in one-on-one dealings with them, and some of them have discovered that Jews have their virtues, too. The real diplomacy and peacemaking is to encourage such one-on-one interactions under controllable conditions. Once you forcibly evacuate the Jews, as was done in Ghaza, they become a distant memory, and the harangues of fanatical imams has no counterpoint. Instead of looking to disengage with the Arab sections of Judah and Shomron, we should annex the whole thing and offer citizenship to those who seek it who have no record of terrorism in their family. Also we need to just get rid of Hamas and Fatah. These are criminals, not leaders. Annex Judah and Shomron, recognize Egyptian sovereignty over Ghaza, and get rid of the “leadership” that has no interest in peaceable coexistence. Then let things develop organically from there. It’s not the “deal of the century,” but it’s the only workable proposal that I can envision, and I’m committed to it, living in Gush Etzion.
It would be an asset to FR if you started some threads based on the two you’ve written to me off the top of your head. And number them, part #, so folks will know to look backwards for them. You’ve given me more info on social costs to policy in Israel than my own family living there.
Here's an interesting development: Israel FINALLY has a political party for Christians that is PRO-zionism and Israel sovereignty, and wants to protect the culture of Christians there, while fully integrated them into Israeli society, for example it strongly promotes Christians joining the Israeli Defense Forces.
It's called Ihud Bnei HaBrit, which means "United Allies".
The party is ironically mostly Arabs (not surprising since Arabs are the vast majority of Israel Christians), and, even more ironically, leans left-of-center. I'd take those "left of center" Christians over the Pete Buttigieg/Jimmy Carter "Christian left" in America any day.
Apparently it was founded by a sea captain from Nazareth who was sick and tired of all the Arab political parties in Israel catering to Muslims/Islamofacists and campaigning on the idea of wiping Isarel off the map. It says the party membership is primarily Melkite Greek and Roman Catholic Christians who are proud to be Israeli citizens. I find that refreshing.
Apparently they won 0 seats in the Knesset though.
There's some other tiny Christian Party in Israel called the Bible Bloc Party, it was created by Evangelical protestant speaker Dennis Lipkin. He'd be better off joining forces with the United Allies and working to move them to the right on social issues and economic policy. Demographically, his voters in Israel (white Evangelical protestants) are a tiny, tiny minority.
Christians only makeup about 2% of the population in Israel. If they want to elect one of their own to the Knesset and have a voice in government, they need to work together.
There was ONE "Christian" Knesset member in the Knesset a while back, but he was some Palestinian douche elected on one of the Arab List parties who was as "Christian" as Michael Moore is. I think he campaigned on the idiotic idea of putting up a Christmas Tree in the Knesset not because of any sincere religious feelings, but just to annoy/piss off the Jewish members.