The only realistic resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict
All the extremes are wrong
Today is Tisha b’Av, the anniversary of the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. We are taught that the Second Temple fell due to baseless hatred, which it is imperative to banish from our society. Regrettably, as we have chronicled, baseless hatred remains a threat to the Jewish nation and Western civilization as a whole.
Today’s column is devoted to the threats to Israel posed by Israel’s secular left and the international deep state, the chareidi (ultra-Orthodox) community, the jihadists and their international allies, an unrealistic element on the far right, and finally the timidity of the mainstream nationalists.
Israel’s left is like much of the international left: Godless, oikophobic (hating one’s own culture) and xenophilic (admiring the foreign). These are the peace activists who hate PM Netanyahu for no special reason (similar to Trump derangement syndrome), who danced under a giant Buddha statue on the Sabbath very close to the Gaza border on October 7, 2023, unable to imagine that Hamas could be thousands of times worse to them than Netanyahu. They wage lawfare to undermine their own state. The Israeli Attorney General is persecuting Netanyahu with endless trials while Netanyahu is trying to defend the country. Netanyahu is being grilled on toys given to his children 20 years ago, deposed weekly or more. The government is unable to remove this manic AG, and the president of Israel refuses to end the charade by pardoning Netanyahu.
The most superficially religious community are the chareidim, who are far more influential in Israeli society than their proportion in the population. Although there is a sizable and honorable minority that recognizes Israel’s legitimacy, a majority of this community considers the state of Israel to be its enemy. This rankles the majority of Israelis who see the large amount of welfare used by the chareidim (because of the latter’s poor education and disinclination to work); the widespread exemption of chareidim from public service (such as the draft to which most Israeli Jews are subject); and the open hostility towards patriotic chareidim who do choose to serve in the IDF.
In the time of the Hebrew Bible, there was a unified Judaism of Torah observance and nationalist duty. It was unthinkable that anyone would separate one from the other. Today, however, many nationalists are secular, and many religious people are anti-nationalist. The religious Zionists are the true heirs of the spirit of the Bible, but at this time they constitute a minority of the Israeli Jewish public.
I have written extensively on the jihadi-communazi alliance. These people wish to destroy Western civilization by any means necessary. There is no practical distinction between the far left (Ilhan Omar, Bernie Sanders, Rashida Tlaib), the far right (Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie, Candace Owens), and the jihadists (Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, ISIS). To detach us from our connection to God, the most effective way is to sever the link: the revelation borne by the Jewish people since Mount Sinai. The Qur’an, at 9:5, states that any non-Muslim has three options: convert; submit (paying the jizya tax of a dhimmi [second-class citizen]); or be killed. There is no nationalist grievance over “Palestine”, only a religious one that can never be resolved peacefully.
Today, we are seeing Biblical prophecies come true, as more and more nations are lining up against Israel. They have declared that they will recognize a third “Palestinian” state (in addition to Jordan [78%] and Israel [22%]), even if Hamas refuses to release its Israeli hostages.
The nations have not stated what the recognized territory of “Palestine” would be. “Palestinian” terrorists state openly that they seek not only Judea and Samaria (the “West Bank”) and Gaza, but ALL of pre-1967 Israel. The birth of such a nation will increase war, not diminish it.
Israeli nationalists have replied that it is far past time to declare sovereignty in the disputed territories from the Six-Day War. This is the Biblical heartland of the Jews. Before the Roman Empire angrily named this province Palestine (rebuking the rebellious Jews), they called this province Judea: the home of the Jews.
There is a problem, however. Millions of hostile Arabs live in these territories. What should their fate be? Caroline Glick has glibly called for offering them Israeli citizenship. The total population “between the river and the sea” is about half Jewish and half Arab. This would be suicide for Jewish Israel, and should be a non-starter.
Jewish and Arab population is not uniformly distributed in Judea and Samaria. The following map shows areas declared under the Oslo agreement.
The green line is the 1948 armistice line. It is not an international border. Jordan and Egypt have renounced their respective claims to Judea and Samaria, and to Gaza.
Some Jews live to the east of the green line. Most of them are within the Seam Zone, between the green line and the barrier (a fence, not a wall for the most part). The Seam Zone’s population is mostly Jewish. It should be annexed immediately.
The Jordan River valley on the east side of the map is very sparsely populated outside Jericho, and is crucial for Israel’s defense. It too should be annexed immediately.
The only areas of Arab settlement in Judea and Samaria are the colored areas in the map above: areas A and B. The white areas are where Jews live: area C. It would be difficult to make a contiguous nation out of areas A and B, and after an exile of over 18 centuries, Jews have chosen not to leave the land again.
Three viable options remain for the Arabs of areas A and B should Israel attempt to extend its sovereignty to Judea, Samaria, and Gaza.
Israel declares all Arab residents of these areas to be resident aliens. Despite the enthusiasm of the Israeli nationalist right, this will not be accepted internationally. This gives the appearance of having second-class citizens. Besides, the Arab residents would be deprived of citizenship in any state. Neither Jordan, the most logical choice, nor any other Arab state wants to have them.
Israel reduces the magnitude of the problem by offering financial incentives to emigrate. Offer $10,000 to every Arab resident of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza who emigrates and permanently renounces all claims against the state of Israel. This will be denounced as ethnic cleansing. However, it will be voluntary, in contrast to the massacres of Jewish communities in the Arab world that led to 800 thousand Jews fleeing to Israel. There is no reason on earth why Arab countries should not warmly welcome their own brethren.
A new option has appeared recently. A group of Arab leaders in the city of Hebron recently denounced the Palestinian Authority and offered to govern Hebron as an emirate. This is a more local form of government than the nation-state, and it is employed in the United Arab Emirates.
God has made Israel fortunate in its enemies, starting with Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus. These enemies were so maniacally, uncompromisingly evil, that Israel has been forced into the choices that God insisted on. God has narrowed down our options in modern times as well.
Israel must extend sovereignty immediately to the Seam Zone, the Jordan River valley, other parts of area C close to the Seam Zone, and a buffer zone within Gaza, before there is any other claimant to those lands.
Israel must offer financial incentives for permanent emigration to Arabs in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. I will contribute to such a fund.
For those Arabs who wish to remain in the land, they may do so on condition of recognition of Jewish Israeli sovereignty, and absolute rejection of violence.
Most of the Palestinian Arabs refuse to compromise in their demand for the complete destruction of Israel, having turned down an independent state numerous times since 1947. Most of the world insists on carving out some of Israel’s territory to create a new state which will be the launch pad for the realization of jihadist dreams. Thus Israel must act dramatically and decisively and immediately.
This is an accurate statement of the reality on the ground. I would argue, however, that the Palestinians by their collective actions since 1948 have forfeited ALL claims to residence in any of the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean. It is time for their mass expulsion. If no nation will take them...they can wander the Earth as God sees fit to impose on them their own diaspora.
Surak, you have summoned your Spock and have come up with a reasonable solution. The problem, I think, is that much of the screwed-up globe would not be in agreement. The "Palestinians", who exist only to destroy Israel and kill all Jews, will not buy in. The overwhelming majority, both in Gaza and in the "West Bank", approve of Hamas.
As I see it, the best option for Israel would be to offer an ultimatum to the "Palestinians" (who have no historical claim), leave or be taken out. Yes, much violence and global disproval (nothing new at this point). Most of the Arab countries will not want to get into battle with Israel. With Israel in control of all of Israel, things will eventually quiet down.