Is a Two-State Solution a Roadmap to Disaster?
Frederic Leder and Ricky Greenfield
For two thousand years, with no real power of their own, Jews survived outside their own state by using compromise to buy another day or postpone imminent destruction. Once in a state of their own, Jews, unfortunately, continued this practice and as a result Israelis today constantly think about “what do the Arabs want?” and “what will it take for them to leave us in peace?” instead of asking what is best for Israel.
From the first British partition of the Palestine Mandate that created TransJordan to the tragedy of the 1930s – when in the shadow of the Holocaust, the British acceded to Arab pressure and stopped Jewish immigration – Jews were willing to accept any deal that got them a state. In 1947, when that time finally arrived, Jews were again more than willing to create an Arab State on land originally set aside for a Jewish homeland in exchange for the hope of peace. If they had accepted the compromise, the Arabs would now have had what would be their 22nd state in the region, but instead they refused. They only wanted a state if the Jews were denied theirs. And when they went to war to try to eliminate the nascent state of Israel, they failed. But the war they started then has never stopped and continues today. Israel’s Arab neighbors, 300 million strong, have never relented in their efforts to end the Jewish presence in the region.
Ask Jews anywhere in the world what they really want for Israel and they will inevitably say peace. To get it many are willing, even eager, to offer Israeli land to fulfill what is now called a two-state solution: an Israeli state and an Arab one living side by side in peace. Supposedly. But every Israeli entreaty to that end has been meet with rejection followed by violence. Unwittingly, this constant penchant to compromise encourages Arab intransigence on the issue of Israel’s existence as their objective is to weaken and then eliminate Israel, with the two-state solution being the means to that end.
Meanwhile, elites in Israel and America, as well as the U.S. State Department, focus on the two-state solution as an end in itself. It is not the better outcome that matters, but how to divide this little country, Israel, and that is on top of too many agendas.
No matter that the failed Oslo Accords demonstrated this solution’s weakness. Instead of bringing peace, the Accords ushered in a period of unparalleled mayhem costing Israel close to 2,000 lives and violently touching uncounted families throughout the country. Even in the face of Oslo’s failure and after more ineffective Israeli concessions in both Gaza and Israel’s north, those who champion the two-state idea persist.
Something that fails so consistently ought to be discarded, but this truism doesn’t apply here. Releasing Arab terrorists from Israeli jails, evacuating Gaza’s 10,000 Jews, pulling back from the northern border are violence creating acts of a piece with the two-state solution. Each Israeli concession has been a springboard for further attempts to destroy the Jewish state.
So what is Israel to do?
First and foremost, Israel must look to its own interests with a plan that delivers a safe and secure environment to its citizens. The Jewish penchant to compromise in order to survive has to be finally put to rest. Israel’s answer is clear: the natural barriers from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea afford her the most secure borders available. Inside these borders is the place for compromise and accommodation and that’s where Israel can reach out to her Arab population and attempt to satisfy their needs. They can accommodate all of their aspirations except their desire to destroy the Jewish state. While it wouldn’t include a national entity for the Arab minority, an internal agreement can deliver to the resident populations the personal freedom and self governance to better their lives. And, the willing Arabs of Gaza, Judea and Samaria can be engaged in a social contract that might afford them a number of alternatives such as joint Israeli-Jordanian citizenship, financial incentives for relocation and an expansion of a Gaza territory into the Sinai desert under Egyptian control.
But even absent a successful internal arrangement being made, it is clear that Israel would, to a much greater extent be able to defend herself far better behind natural borders than the synthetic ones being proposed now. Most importantly, taking the two-state solution off the table will extinguish the hope harbored by Israel’s enemies of her demise. Alternatively, the 1967 borders would increase the destabilization of the region and plays into the hands of Jihadi fundamentalists in Gaza and elsewhere.
As long as Israelis themselves entertain a deal based on the false hope of a two-state solution they cannot expect friends in Washington or adversaries in the capitols of Europe to allow them anything else. It’s time to move forward in another way and the idea of a one state solution must start in Israel. It is up to Israel to pursue it without compromise.
Frederic Leder, Ph.D., is a retired petroleum company executive involved in both energy research and strategic planning during his career who lives in Fairfield Connecticut, and Ricky Greenfield is the publisher of the Connecticut Jewish Ledger
An email I receive from a friend who is a Liberal with some leftist leanings:
30 December 2008
The Return of Liyla Shaqet
During times of war in Israel, the news anchors sign-off by saying, “Liyla shaqet.” (Have a quiet night.) We once again part from each other by saying, “liyla shaqet” or “yom shaqet” (quiet day) or “shavua shaqet” (quiet week). On Friday and Saturday we will say, “Shabbat Shalom v’Shaqet.” (Peaceful and Quiet Sabbath.”
Saturday night, I was sitting with my neighbors watching the news. Ruthie had heard during the day what she thought was thunder and pointed it out to someone who said, “That’s not thunder.”
We were almost relieved, in a sick kind of way, that action was finally being taken. For days, weeks, months, we were wondering if the government would do something about the intolerable situation of Hamas terrorizing and killing our citizens in Sderot with daily barrages of missiles. Ruthie expressed her anger with the Palestinians for bringing us down to their level, of making us kill them. As the late Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir said, “We can forgive you for killing our sons. But we will never forgive you for making us kill yours.”
They have been taunting us since we left Gaza over three years ago. Yes, we completely evacuated our settlements and army over three years ago and didn’t look back. Instead of making an attempt at peace and an attempt to build a better society for their people, the Palestinians destroyed buildings and hot houses left for them to work and help build an economy, and then they expressed their desire for peace by increasing violence against Israel and shelling our cities within their missile range. The people of Gaza then elected Hamas, who ran on the platform of ending corruption and bettering the lives of the Palestinian people. But they also never hid and are quite vocal about their intention to wipe Israel, all of Israel, off the map, including Tel Aviv, Haifa, Eilat. They have also been quite active digging20tunnels to smuggle in weapons.
In Kohelet (Ecclisiastics) it is written “to everything there is a season, and to every purpose under the heaven … a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and time of peace.” Unfortunately, our time for peace has not yet come. And unfortunately, our time for war is here, again. Anyone who thinks this was an easy decision is an idiot. Israel is a very small, tight-knit country. When the politicians make a decision to go to war, they’re sending their own children and siblings and friends. We don’t yell in front of the cameras that we wish we had more sons to become suicide bombers. We agonize over the knowledge that someone close might not come back home alive. Golda said, “A leader who doesn’t hesitate before he sends his nation into battle is not fit to be a leader.”
Hamas has been using our love of life and disdain for war against us, taunting us with missiles here and there and then asking for a cease-fire. They define cease-fire as “less missiles” instead of “total cessation of hostilities.”& nbsp; What other nation would put up with this?!
I have always been very proud to be an Israeli and am even prouder today. I am proud that the decision was not taken lightly and quickly – that our disdain for killing includes killing our enemies and those who support them. I am proud of the precision of our army in their targets – the overwhelming majority of those killed have been Hamas terrorists. I am proud that the IDF has done as much as possible to minimize innocent casualities, including calling people on the phone to warn them they are in or next to a building that has been targeted because there are weapons stored there or Hamas operative working out of there. I am proud of the government that finally said, “Enough is enough!” – the need to protect its citizens is greater than the need to be liked by the world. I am proud that we our allowing humanitarian aid in, inspite of the fact that they want us all dead.
Are the Palestinians proud of Hamas who do their best to keep their own people down as a PR sham? Are they proud of the Hamas terrorists who went into hospitals the last few days and executed suspec ted collaborators? Are they proud of the Hamas terrorists who shot at civilians trying to cross over into Egypt to escape the violence (the more bodies, the better the PR)? Are they proud of the Hamas terrorists who send woman and children to building they know are going to to be targeted or prevent them from leaving? Are they proud of the Hamas terrorist government that stock weapons and create weapons labs in densely populated areas? If they are not proud, then it’s time for them to do something about it. If they are, then they do not have my sympathy for their lot.
We all hope that the war will end soon and we can all start to heal. But to return once again to the previous situation is unacceptable. What happened in Lebanon two years again cannot happen in Gaza this time. Hizbollah attacked Israel even though we had completely withdrew from Lebanon which sparked the Second Lebanon War. Hizbollah is still alive and kicking in the north. We have to make sure Hamas is neutralized at all costs.
I would like to commend the Czech Foreign Minister K arel Schwarzenberg on his understanding of the situation. In an interview with the daily Mlada Fronta Dnes, he is quoted as saying, “Let us realize one thing: Hamas increased steeply the number of rockets fired at Israel since the cease-fire ended on December 19.. That is not acceptable any more… Why am I one of the few that have expressed understanding for Israel? … I am enjoying the luxury of telling the truth.” Also, according to the Jerusalem Post, “Schwarzenberg said Hamas had excluded itself from serious political debate due to its rocket attacks on Israel. He also hinted the group’s putting its bases and gun warehouses in densely populated areas was the reason for the Palestinians’ growing death toll.
Liyla Shaqet!
To get an idea of what life is like in Sderot and the other cities in firing=2 0range of Gaza watch these you tube videos.
15 Seconds (time from the warning siren to the missile landing) http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=r51PONLdS5s&feature=related
Missiles fall in Sdert http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=ggKOjY_daiM&NR=1
Kindergarten Alert http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=mFss6p5sTPE
READ THE COMMENTS FOR EA CLIP: VERY INFORMATIVE AND ILLUMINATING
Hamas and the two state solution:
The current war in Gaza is bringing us one step closer to the end of the two-state solution, which is a liberal Western version of Arafat’s plan to destroy Israeli in phases.
Thankfully, Hamas will never relinquish its grip on Gaza, so we are coming ever closer to a permanent partition of arab palestine into two, before there is ever a single state. With Fatastan in the West Bank and Hamastan firmly estblished in Gaza, it will be impossible for the western liberal Jew-haters to bring a unified Palestinian state into existence.
So Israel should do everything it can to keep a weakened Hamas in power in Gaza, while helping Fatah fight Hamas in the West Bank. And Israel should do everything it can to fan the flames of Hamas and Fatah’s mutual hatred. (By the way, did you hear that Fatah colloborated with Israel to give them information on sites to target within Gaza?)
Ultimately, everything old will be new again. As in 1949-1967, the West Bank will be part of Jordan, and Gaza will be an autonomous region of Egypt, and Palestine will remain forever unborn.
Fistel:
Sammy, You are a beautiful dreamer. That is the least likely sceneario.
celia: last call; your wrap is waiting.
Martel: a variation of the old Polish joke
define someome who is not Jewish.
response,
Genitals are people of non-Jewish origins.
However, Charles in some rare cases they can be Jewish—- Wink wink, nod, nod.
So then what in your esteemed opinion will be the most likely scenario?
Peskin:
Oh really? sick sick sick!!!!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0l09K0-4fs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqXi8WmQ_WM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4HpPa8F6Zk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyX_76OYE0A&NR=1
Good friends back in Connecticut, Fred Leder and Ricky Greenfield have written this important piece on why Israel should drop pursuit of the two-state solution. A two state solution voids Israel’s long term security and leaves the Jewish state vulnerable to attack and destruction to arbitrarily imposed borders. No better illustration of that is the current IDF Operation Cast Lead directed at destroying the seven year daily rocket war perpetrated by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Resistance Committee against the nearly one million Israeli citizens in the South and the Negev. That was the direct result of Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 and eviction of 9,000 Israeli citizens settled there under state auspices. Leder and Greenfield suggest some interesting alternatives to the two state solution that make practical sense, including possible creation of an expanded Palestinian entity in the northern Sinai of Egypt adjacent to the troubled Gaza strip.
Is a Two-State Solution a Roadmap to Disaster?
DAMN STRAIGHT IT IS!
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