Today Avigdor Lieberman says that there will be no corridor between Gaza and the West Bank. That is part of the rightwing's new vision for breaking up Palestinian life into cantons. Under this plan, Israel would annex 60 percent of the West Bank containing the settlements and allow Palestinian freedom of movement within the remaining areas, but cut the West Bank Palestinians off from Gaza.
The plan was recently offered in Hebrew by Naftali Bennet, a former chief of staff to Netanyahu and former general manager of the Yesha Council, the political organization of West Bank settlers. It was published in Makor Rishon and translated at a settlers' site.
Gaza would be left to be absorbed by Egypt; and Israel would maintain full military control over the West Bank. (So much for the end of occupation.) And no refugees would be allowed to return to any Palestinian area. Though Israel would grant full citizenship for the 50,000 Palestinians inside the annexed areas. "This will pull the rug out from under the Apartheid accusation."
During the two years I spend at the Council of Judea and Samaria [the Yesha Council], not a day passed without someone saying to me: Okay, we understand that a Palestinian state is a terrible idea. But what is your solution? What do you suggest?
They had a point.
In the market of ideas today there are only two solutions for sale: The establishment of a Palestinian state on most of the area of Judea and Samaria, or total annexation of the area and its two million Arabs.
By now, the public understands that the two solutions are untenable and that both endanger the future of the state of Israel for security reasons as well as demographic and ethical ones.
The time has come to suggest a solution that is feasible, level-headed and that serves the interests of the state of Israel.
The idea presented here, one that is now being formulated in detail, does not pretend to solve the entire gamut of problems once and forever, because there is no solution that can do that.
This initiative, whose goals are modest, gives Israel three advantages: retaining the vital areas, strengthening international standing by neutralizing the ‘apartheid’ issue - and it creates stable conditions on the ground for the next several decades.
And most important: it is achievable and doable.
The following is a brief summary of the plan: "The 7 Point Program for Administering the Arab-Israeli Cpnflict in Judea and Samaria:
1. Israeli will extend full sovereignty over Area C. By doing this, Israel will take the initiative and ensure its vital needs: security for the coast and Jerusalem, keeping the settlements intact and sovereignty over national heritage sites.
The world will not recognize our sovereignty in the area, just as it does not recognize our sovereignty at the Western Wall, in the Ramot and Gilo neighborhoods of Jerusalem and in the Golan Heights. Not to worry, the world will get used to it.
Area C forms a contiguous Israeli land mass and includes the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, Ben Gurion airport and surrounding area, Maaleh Adumim and all the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
Residents of Tel Aviv, the coastal plain, and the entire country will live in security and be protected from the threats from the east.
2. Full citizenship for the 50,000 Arabs who live in Area C. That is all the Arabs who are there, just 4% of the Arabs in Judea and Samaria. This will pull the rug out from under the Apartheid accusation. There are 350,000 Jews in Area C today and only 50,000 Arabs. Those Arabs can become full-fledged Israeli citizens. And they will all realize that no Arab or Jew will be expelled from his home there.
3. The PA will have full autonomy and contiguous public transportation in the areas under its control. Arabs there will be able to go from one place to another without roadblocks and soldiers. Arabs hate long lines and traffic jams as much as Israelis do. This contiguous route is not easy to achieve but can be done for a one time investment of a few hundred million dollars.
We can improve Arab lives and at the same time, remove the international humanitarian pressure on Israel.
4. No ‘refugee’ from Arab countries will be allowed to enter Judea and Samaria. This negates the PA state concept that allows for millions of ‘refugees’ and their descendants to flow into the area from Arab countries. It is unfortunate that Netanyahu, in his Bar Ilan speech, said that the “refugees” could return to the Palestinian State he envisaged.
That is an egregious mistake that would lead to an irreversible demographic catastrophe. From the moment that millions of “refugees” from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and other Arab countries flood Judea and Samaria, there is no turning back the clock, so we cannot allow that to occur. The descendants of the refugees must be absorbed by the nations wherein they reside, and in no case west of the Jordan River.
5. Israel will keep an IDF security “umbrella” open over all of Judea and Samaria.
The necessary condition for the plan’s success is tranquillity. Quiet is possible only if the IDF is in charge of security. If the IDF leaves, Hamas will take its place. That is what Hamas did in Gaza and it is what Hizbullah did in Lebanon [once the IDF left, ed.]
6. Gaza will be separate from Judea and Samaria.
The “secure passage” idea between Gaza and Yesha is passé. It would only lead to all of Gaza’s troubles stirring up violence in quiet Judea and Samaria.
Gaza is joining Egypt little by little. It is already happening. We have no responsibility for Gaza. We expelled 8,000 Israelis from their Gush Katif homes there, we left every centimeter of land on which we had built communities there and in return, we got Hamastan. Let Egypt deal with it.
7. There will be massive economic investment to help Jews and Arabs live together in Area C: better infrastructure, highway interchanges, shared industrial areas. Peace begins with day to day living, with ordinary citizens. Instead of useless diplomatic cocktail parties in Oslo, Geneva and Camp David, there has to be an improvement on the ground, helping ordinary people.
For example, an interchange at the Hizme checkpoint in Binyamin is long overdue. Every morning, thousands of Jews and Arabs sit out an unnecessary traffic jam together there. The roads also cause accidents because of their condition. I would transfer the money from the Geneva Proposal to the Department of Public Works and build this interchange.
In Conclusion:
We must admit that there is no great love between Arabs and Jews in Judea and Samaria. But both sides realize by now that the other side is not going to evaporate Therefore, instead of wasting our time, money and blood on solutions that lead only to frustration and violence, we should concentrate on realistic plans that lead to stability and improved conditions.
It is time for a fresh approach in which we give up - at present - on the maximum in order to obtain the optimium, the perfect for the good. It is also time for the state of Israel to take the initiative.
RE: “This initiative…gives Israel three advantages: retaining the vital areas, strengthening international standing by neutralizing the ‘apartheid’ issue – and it creates stable conditions on the ground…” ~ Naftali Bennet
MY COMMENT: Mr. Bennet is incredibly ‘tone deaf’. His “7 Point Program” reminds me of the old “separate but equal” nostrum during the Jim Crow era in the U.S. He might just as well be whistling Dixie.
AN ENCORE PERFORMANCE OF A RECENT LATE WINTER AFTERNOON’S MUSICAL INTERLUDE, brought to you courtesy of the makers of new Ziocaine Xtreme®: It’s guaran-damn-teed to blow your effing mind!™
The Last Waltz, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” (VIDEO, 04:16) – link to youtube.com
…Like my father before me, I will work the land
And like my brother above me, who took a rebel stand
He was just eighteen, proud and brave, but a Yankee laid him in his grave
I swear by the mud below my feet
You can’t raise a Caine back up when he’s in defeat…
King Harvest (Has Surely Come), The Band [VIDEO, 03:37] – link to youtube.com
…The smell of the leaves,
From the magnolia trees in the meadow.
King Harvest has surely come…
P.S. This is the music Robbie Robertson selected for the credits at the end of Scorsese’s film “Shutter Island” (2010).
Dinah Washington & Max Richter: This bitter earth/On the nature of daylight (VIDEO, 08:22) – link to youtube.com
…This bitter earth
Well, what fruit it bears
Ooooh, This bitter earth…
This “plan” was actually presented at the Herzliya conference in February by a schmuck called Adi Mintz.
link to herzliyaconference.org
I ran it through google translate
Only in Hebrew because nobody wants this stuff to be seen in english. It’s worse than paedophilia .
Slide 24 : The only just and moral solution for the Jewish people is ethnic cleansing
Otherwise it contains such gems as
-Judea and Samaria are part of the national home for the Jewish people given by the League of Nations
-There has never been Arab sovereignty in Judea and Samaria
-Newt Gingrich: the Palestinians are invented
Palestinians problem is that of the entire region. Arab countries, especially Jordan and Egypt must participate in the arrangement.
Palestinians in Jordan Hashemite state as the state recognized the Palestinians people’s national
Northeast CHINA will be developed for refugees and residents of the Gaza Strip
Set an international program to rehabilitate the refugees Palestinians – a voluntary settlement in northeastern Sinai, Jordan or United Arab
“Gaza would be left to be absorbed by Egypt”
They don’t know what to do with Gaza.
This particular proposal is like some wifebeater who has been beating his wife to a pulp for 40 years suddenly deciding he wants to formalise things. Wife to be confined in a locked room henceforth. Son to be abandoned in front of neighbors house with note.
Egypt will give any Israeli who tries to implement this fantasy the 2 fingers.
Gaza is run not by UNDHR principles or international law but by the Pottery Barn rules. Israel broke it. Israel fixes it.
“This particular proposal is like some wifebeater who has been beating his wife to a pulp for 40 years suddenly deciding he wants to formalise things.”
To me, this sounds like the Israelis are under the delusions that Himmler was under at the end of the war, believing that the world would overlook his crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The settlers have Israel by the gonads but now they think they can sell this crap to the goys.
Israel has been driving down a dead end for 45 years and the wall is approaching.
“Israel has been driving down a dead end for 45 years and the wall is approaching.”
Yup. Too bad when they hit, it won’t just be them that ends up going through the windshield. If it were, I’d say, “good riddence.”
No Palestinian state, no RoR for refugees (and, presumably, no compensation in lieu, either) and 50,000 non-Jews get to become second-class citizens in a religion-supremacist “Jeiwsh state”. What’s not to love?
>> Therefore, instead of wasting our time, money and blood on solutions that lead only to frustration and violence, we should concentrate on realistic plans that lead to stability and improved conditions.
Here’s a realistic plan Israel could implement that would lead to stability and improved conditions: Immediately and completely halt the ON-GOING and offensive (i.e., not defensive) campaign of aggression, oppression, theft, colonization, destruction and murder, and enter into sincere negotiations for a just and mutually-beneficial peace.
As I responded to Annie’s first post on this, this is an *extremely* important topic, because it does have the potential to neutralize the Apartheid issue in the West Bank. In my view, the Apartheid issue is the killer issue, that has the power to de-legitimize Zionism.
Some open questions to the Mondoweiss community:
By addressing the key points of Apartheid, including voting and citizenship rights within a contiguous space, and unfettered transportation rights (public, not private) between the Palestinian enclaves, will it take the steam out of the anti-Israeli Apartheid movement?
The Palestinian formal diplomatic position, and Palestinian public opinion, *still* is not yet behind One State. If that transformation doesn’t happen very quickly, won’t that be tacit acceptance of this annexation plan?
This plan shares some (not all) aspects in common with American Indian reservations. The key difference being that American Indians all have US Citizenship and enjoy those rights, while Palestinians in these enclaves do not. American Indians who don’t want to live on the reservation just mingle in with the rest of the United States.
However, if they don’t change their position in favor of One State, and quickly, then Israel could seek a solution where the enclaves have a relationship with Jordan, and Palestinians who don’t want to live in the enclave system will just mingle in with Jordan.
Gosh Robert
So much nonsense. Where does one start ?
“By addressing the key points of Apartheid, including voting and citizenship rights within a contiguous space, and unfettered transportation rights (public, not private) between the Palestinian enclaves, will it take the steam out of the anti-Israeli Apartheid movement?”
Only if it respects all Palestinian property rights.
Otherwise we move to a parallel universe where Sarah Palin will win the Nobel Prize for Science and Israel still exists in 2035.
“The Palestinian formal diplomatic position, and Palestinian public opinion, *still* is not yet behind One State. If that transformation doesn’t happen very quickly, won’t that be tacit acceptance of this annexation plan?”
Translated from the Hasbaratic: The woman has been assaulted. If she doesn’t put up any resistance, doesn’t she assent to the rape?
“However, if they don’t change their position in favor of One State, and quickly, then Israel could seek a solution where the enclaves have a relationship with Jordan, and Palestinians who don’t want to live in the enclave system will just mingle in with Jordan”
The right to live in one’s home is sacrosanct. Even for non Jews in Erez Israel.
The West Bank isn’t Jordna’s problem. Nobody asked Israel to occupy.
The perspective in which I’m offering my question is not legality. Even the Likud promoter, Naftali Bennet, admits that “the world will not accept it”, because it’s not legal.
I’m offering my questions in the spirit of realpolitik. Take John Mearsheimer’s talk “The Future of Palestine”. link to mrzine.monthlyreview.org
His key point: “This situation, however, is unsustainable over time. Once it is widely recognized that the two-state solution is dead and Greater Israel is a reality, the righteous Jews will have two choices: support apartheid or work to help create a democratic bi-national state. I believe that almost all of them will opt for the latter option, in large part because of their deep-seated commitment to liberal values, which renders any apartheid state ** abhorrent ** to them. ”
The key word here is **abhorrent**. My question: If this Area C enclave system is implemented, will most liberal American Jews find it **abhorrent**, or acceptable, especially when compared directly with the Indian Reservation system in the US?
When you examine the life of the individual West Bank Palestinian, including rights, self-government, freedom of movement, etc, will most American Jews find it abhorrent?
Again, I’m offering this in the form of a question, without an answer, because I don’t know the answer.
acceptable
alas
I didnt want to comment, but i agree with Phil — but it wouldnt just be “liberal” jews, the vast majority of american “liberals” would find it acceptable – and it would go away as a issue rather quickly
you can’t compare this “directly with the Indian Reservation system in the US” because as you pointed out there is no option to opt out of the reservation in the system you are proposing and live as a full citizen off the reservation.
My question: If this Area C enclave system is implemented, will most liberal American Jews find it **abhorrent**
what is your reason for asking only what american jews think? do you think if it is ok with american jews it will be ok with palestinians? and what about the other 98% of americans? does what we think matter?
what are you talking about? they are only offering citizenship rights (not to be confused with the superior rights of the jewish nationals) to 50,000 people. why don’t you ask what american jews will think about ethnically cleansing the other 100,000 palestinians who live in area c. you keep putting different shades of lipstick on this pig of yours, that’s not ‘realpolitik’, it’s just a pig with lipstick.
Annie,
I accept all of your points, and it was really just a manner of speaking, regarding liberal American Jews, etc. Of course all Americans matter. The essence of my question is: will the anti-Israeli Apartheid movement ever be able to gain steam in the Western Democracies if this plan is implemented?
Additionally, you mentioned in the previous post that Area C has 150,000 Palestinians, not 50,000, and we don’t know the reason for that discrepancy. They probably intend to ethnic cleanse the other 100,000. But let’s say, for the sake of argument, that they admit all 150,000 Palestinians as citizens.
But the question here I’m asking is sweeping, and it’s also admittedly vulgar realpolitik.
Only the violation of American democratic values, codified into law and sustained as a self-perpetuating system, can conceivably drive Western Democracies to bring down Apartheid in Israel/Palestine. If the Area C plan makes for a life that is not abhorrent to Palestinians, it’s going to be hard to make this into a mass movement.
Where I’m going with this is that the Palestinian’s future is being shaped for them right now, by this Area C plan. If they don’t want their life to look that way, they need to adopt a Bi-National State plan, with details, very very shortly. It should look proper to the Western Democracies, like the Freedom Charter of the ANC.
I brought this up in mid-January in response to the commenter Kalithea, and Hostage responded with this link. link to israeli-occupation.org . This worried me a lot because it is still promoting a two-state solution at this late date. Palestinians need to get off the pot about this. If they’re still spending their political energy on the two-state solution, all they are going to get is Naftali Bennet’s Area C plan.
Ali Abunimah, in “One Country” wrote about the need for a revolution in attitudes in the Palestinians to accept One State, in spite of the misery heaped on them by Zionists. That revolution better take place pronto.
Mearsheimer apparently still believes or perhaps is desperate to believe the myth of the righteous Jew. Once again, if you wait for Israel to officially declare Apartheid, you’re going to have to wait a very long time – it’s not going to happen. Apartheid is already there and in fact has been there since Israel’s founding in one form or another, without much protest, let alone boycott, by “righteous Jews”.
Here is the clearest explanation of Apartheid that blows everything else out of the water:
link to youtube.com
In short, for as long as people accept that ideology of Jewish exclusivity on the expense of the indigenous population, they are all complicit in the crime of Apartheid.
If the Area C plan makes for a life that is not abhorrent to Palestinians, it’s going to be hard to make this into a mass movement.
anything less than equal rights is not going to fly. we already have a mass movement, it’s called bds. it’s happening and growing. ‘not abhorrent’ is not the goal, it is a rights based campaign.
they need to adopt a Bi-National State plan, with details, very very shortly.
uh huh. or else what? they have adopted plan after plan already. do not pretend it is the responsibility of palestinians to come up with a plan because if there is one thing israel is really good at it is rejecting palestinian ideas.
Palestinians need to get off the pot about this.
they are off the pot. that all you got?
/That revolution better take place pronto./
Not likely to happen.
It would require a 180 turn in the whole Palestinian narrative.
OlegR: [That revolution ] would require a 180 turn in the whole Palestinian narrative
That is why it is called a “Revolution”. You can use one too.
Ok let’s play a mind game.
Israel goes looney and offers the following.
1) A single state with it’s symbols agreed upon both parties (the hymn changes the flag changes two official languages arabic and hebrew (it’s already the case btw)) and reflects both peoples cultures.
2)One man one vote new elections to a new parliament.
and a new Democratic Constitution in the best traditions of the liberal west a total segregation between religion and state.
3)Reparations to everybody that got hurt during the conflict on BOTH sides.
refugees and all.
4)The Ror is in.
5)The IDF is renamed and reorganized to reflect the nature of the new state.
But.
Nobody moves nowhere, the settlements stay where they are.
Jews get full access everywhere just as the Arabs are.
The Jews take responsibility for their actions since 1948 included the
Arabs take responsibility for theirs.
No liability to any of the former Israeli leaders (Politicians Army Shin Bet etc )decision makers.No liability to the Palestinian leaders (Militants etc).
The prisoners are all released (even the Bastards from Itamar).
The Arabs have to continue and live with a large 5.5 million Jewish minority
in a state that is not an Arab national state but something closer to the values
of democratic France.
All of this new status quo is enforced effectively by the US and Europe
upon an agreed time frame lets say the next 50 years.
How many Palestinians would agree to such a solution ?
How many Israelis ?
How about you the commentators on this site?
It doesn’t matter what American Jews think. The Palestinian right to self determination has kept the people going for the last 64 years. Palestinians get to decide what works for them. That is what human rights are all about. American Jewish influence has been putrifying to date.
The “Area C enclave system” is a proposal for a jazzed up tribal homeland. It didn’t work in South Africa. It won’t work in Israel.
The Palestinians have to get East Jerusalem back and it doesn’t matter what the settlers want. Israel will eventually shaft them.
Revolutions of the peoples whole narrative and perspective
the don’t come up from thin air and the good wishes
of some well meaning delusional liberal Americans.
What that a google translation from another language Oleg? The sentence is illegible.
“What that a google translation”
:) English is not my native language, what’s your excuse?
“Revolutions of the peoples whole narrative and perspective
the don’t come up from thin air and the good wishes
of some well meaning delusional liberal Americans.”
= “Palestinians are barbarians. Trust us, we are Jews and we are like you”
And that narrative has been beaten to death with the butt of an Uzi.
I would agree to it.
Oleg, I live in California and I’m white. Whites (non-Hispanic) are 40% of the California population. Let me assure you that life is OK as a white person in California. My president is half-Black. After some curiosity for a few months or so, people just don’t talk much about the fact that he is Black, just about his politics or personality. After all, the fact that he is Black, how much is there to say about it? It gets boring for everyone after awhile.
Regarding voting rights and Citizenship, I don’t have to like or have kinship with my fellow citizens. Everyone needs to be able to vote and have equal protection under the law. Government and courts and businesses must work impartially. But liking or loving groups other than my own is not required.
The same is true with Israel/Palestine. What you should care about is the *way that Palestinians vote* on economic issues, religious tolerance issues, modesty issues, etc. etc. That’s only what matters to you. The ballot itself, not the color of the hand that deposits it in the box.
You may find that the voting patterns of Palestinians would change life less than you think. Maybe less than the immigrants that have already come to Israel.
Egad Robert are you naive. Multi-ethnic US is not Israel. The US is not a Christian democracy it is a democracy for all of it’s people. Also the American people will not decide what should be done. That is going to be left to the Palestinian resistance movement. If non-violent it will gain international support and the state of Israel will be further isolated. Israel will eventually capitulate.
Some open questions to the Mondoweiss community:
By addressing the key points of Apartheid, including voting and citizenship rights within a contiguous space, and unfettered transportation rights (public, not private) between the Palestinian enclaves, will it take the steam out of the anti-Israeli Apartheid movement?
No need to go any further than that with your questions. The illegal settlers are trying to rollback time and reverse the 2004 ICJ advisory opinion which held that the Palestinians are entitled to self-determination, their territory, and their State.
This proposal is prima facie evidence of the crime of apartheid. It still constitutes denial of nationality and self-determination for 4 million Palestinians. It is nothing more than a perpetuation of the existing policy of Bantustanization. This Jewish-only “realpolitik” is also an example of an institutionalized regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over another racial group or groups – committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.
So it does nothing to address the issue of apartheid. The South African BSD movement never succeeded in preventing the establishment of Bantustans, but the greed of the White supremacists was their undoing. The same thing will happen to these Jewish supremacists.
A lot of words pathos and citations as usual Hostage.
If there is a complete separation of territories when on
the annexed the residents get full citizenship and the rest is
declared undisputed Palestinian land by Israel then there is no
basis for the apartheid claim. (Not that it has a lot to go on now
since the Judea and Samaria are not annexed to Israel therefore there is
no issue of discrimination to citizens of the same state just the issue
of the legality of settlements).
Any way all of this discussion is mute since the proposal
to annex the C areas does not address the issue of the Arab population in Jerusalem.
OlegR: A lot of words pathos and citations as usual [by] Hostage
A lot indeed, and clearly way too much for you, OlegR. Just start with single-step logic I’d say. Or else, number your steps yourself 1 to 4 so we don’t have to you point to the basic 1-2-3-4 stuff.
“the rest is declared undisputed Palestinian land by Israel then there is no
basis for the apartheid claim.”
That’s a typical moronic statement, war criminal. The fact that you corral the Palestinians up into a ghetto does not absolve you of your crimes.
OlegR: “and the rest is declared undisputed Palestinian land by Israel then there is no basis for the apartheid claim.”
Oh there will always be. Israel keeps Nonjews (and their descendents) who by international and human rights law should be citizens of Israel expelled and denationalized to maintain a regime dominated by Jews.
There is always the “demographic threat”. Israel can never give equality to the Palestinians inside Israel because of it. There is no peace on the horizon because of it. Crimes must be committed and diversions to these crimes must be found.
“The right to live in one’s home is sacrosanct. … Nobody asked Israel to occupy.”
Absolutely, Seafoid.
Lydda
I just finished reading this
link to digicoll.library.wisc.edu
From 1944 . I think it is worth reading in full now that the US may be about to begin the process that ends with it parting company with Zionism.
The last 70 years have been hell.
It was all predicted in this .
-What US mid East diplomats were saying to DC – it is unjust to impose Zionism on the Arab people of Palestine
-What Arab diplomats were saying – it is unjust to punish the Palestinians for what the Germans are doing to European Jews
-How the people of Palestine had to be consulted before anything happened
-How US policy was in danger of being written by private groups
-How the plan would lead to untold bloodshed
The extent of Arab support for the Palestinians is clear. As is the fact that Israel was born in sin and subterfuge and backroom pressure.
It was always a bad idea. It still is.
“During the two years I spend at the Council of Judea and Samaria…”
I read this and I wonder if people refer to their activities in similar organizations in such an offhanded way:
“During the two years I spent on the Council for the Ku Klu Klan…”
“During the two years I spent as a leader in the Aryan People’s Party…”
“During the two years I spent with the Patriot People’s Christian Militia…”
“During the two years I spent as head of a Mafia crime family…”
As usual, this quixotic attempt to disprove Apartheid only reaffirms it as Israel is predictably moving towards the S. African Bantustan model, although admittedly S. Africans Bantustans would be an island paradise resort compared to Israel’s Bantustans.
BTW, I don’t know if this was posted already on Mondoweiss but this is some powerful stuff here:
link to youtube.com
Then instead of Israeli Apartheid Week, we will have Israeli Bantustan Week. No difference.
A big difference to 50000 Arabs though.
Asked by Chris Hayes link to video.msnbc.msn.com (third section around 14) what could be done to keep the two state window open, General Shlomo Gazit offered three points which I transcribed as carefully as I was able.
At this point he gives way to the lady in the pink suit who brings up the image of a million Israelis today taking refuge in shelters against rocket attacks from Gaza. He goes on:
I cannot imagine any sane person, Jew or otherwise, not finding that constructive, practical and possible.