Friday, July 3, 2009

Peace in the Middle East: Everyone Wins

The following is the main text of the missive that was sent to Benjamin Netanyahu four months ago. My thanks for the e-mail that Major General, US Army Ret., Paul E. Vallely sent to Bibi on my behalf. I received e-mail confirmation from Bibi's staff back in March that it was handed to Bibi himself, who sent his personal thanks to me, but no further comment was given at that time.

I only mention this at this time in order to enable the readership to better understand where I am coming from so perhaps you could be better inspired by Heaven to offer suggestions that may help us find a common ground between the current Israeli peace initiative and the plan that Hashem/God gave me, so that we may find that one elusive yet perfect path to world peace that the Lord has promised to bring to mankind.


* * * * *

Peace in the Middle East: Everyone Wins
By Alan Friedlander

In pursuit of a peace plan to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs, we need to find something that ends not only the causes of conflict but also ends the foundations of terrorism. The "Oslo Accords" have failed to bring peace, only pseudo legitimacy to the PLO.

The current peace initiative, the "Roadmap to Peace" is little more than a roadmap to roadblocks and has only succeeded in giving pseudo legitimacy to Fatah and a terrorist haven to Hamas. Not surprising, the efforts by the political left wing to evict innocent Israeli Jews from their homes seemingly for the sake and lone true benefit of unrepentant terrorists has elicited a stronger reaction than ever before from the political right to instead evict West Bank Palestinian Arabs from their homes. The tit for tat cycle does not end on the path that current American Foreign Policy travels. The further the Roadmap is pursued, the deeper entrenched animosities will grow, bringing the conflict closer to the prospect of resolution being possible exclusively by full scale war.

The time is ripe for Change. Change from the failed policies of a bygone era, to a true path towards regional conflict resolution. First let's create a wish list of the goals of the new path to peace.

The Ten Commandments of an Ideal Peace Plan:

  1. To secure an end to terrorist armies within a stone's throw of Israeli cities.
  2. To maintain West Bank and Gaza Palestinian Arabic control of their cities
  3. Allow Palestinian Arabs the retention of their homes.
  4. To allow Israeli settlers to keep their homes as well.
  5. Free Palestinian Arabs in the short term from terrorist police and long term from refugee camps.
  6. Maintains Israel's military control over all the land and resources West of the Jordan River.
  7. Guarantee freedom of religious access to non-Muslims (Jews, Christians, etc.) to ancient and historic holy sites.
  8. Eventually allow West Bank and Gaza Palestinians to join their cousin Israeli Arabs within the "Green Line" by also having a right to vote in the State of Israel.
  9. Not to overwhelm Israeli's economy or infrastructure, nor significantly alter electorate configuration to give unfair advantage to naturalized Arabs and risk disruption of the entire democratic process.
  10. Put an end to the unhealthy segregationist environment that both sides are currently caught up in.

Effecting Real Change

The peace plan alternative must be as moderate and evenhanded as possible without ignoring the key needs of Israel, external and internal security, and religious freedom in order to be a politically viable option.

Everyone Wins

The "Everyone Wins" Peace Plan requires the tying of West Bank/Gaza Arabic naturalization rates to the immigration rates of foreign born Jews. Whereas previous one state solutions called for relocating masses of people, this plan calls for no segregation whatsoever. Nobody has to give up their homes, neither Jews nor Arabs (except for terrorists and those who support them). Palestinians slowly but surely become complete Israelis without overwhelming the Israeli economy and infrastructure.

The key to making this work is twofold. First: Setting the categorization of the level of security risk of each naturalization applicant. The ones who are at zero risk are immediately placed in cue and await a corresponding number of immigrants to raise enough quota to allow them entry as naturalized Israelis. Second: Setting a fair and an appropriate ratio. If current demographics in Israel are that 15% of Israelis are Arabs, then the ratio could be set at 15%. That is, for every 100 immigrants, 15 West Bank and Gaza Arabs who are not a threat are allowed in. So if in a given year there are 100,000 Jewish immigrants, 15,000 friendly Arabs would naturalize.

Once true peace exists, I would expect that Jewish immigration will likely increase by no less than 300% of current rates. Plus financial stability and growth will be at unheard of levels. The ability to power infrastructure growth and the greater Jewish immigration numbers will allow a corresponding expansion of the Arabic naturalization process that is at the core of this solution. Israel can thereby naturalize more Arabs faster and safer than currently possible. Thus the entire conflict will come to an end that much sooner, by the grace of God.

By implementing the principles of my Everyone Wins Peace Plan the Israeli government can find a single and straight path towards peace. If you agree, then we must be prepared to shout out loud and clear in support of the peace plan that seems to be the most consistent with the will of God and the needs of humankind, no matter how simple its author may be.

6 comments:

Steve Lieblich said...

See the follwing postings on the subject of the various peace plans...

The Jordan Solution: http://jiw.blogspot.com/2009/07/jordan-solution.html

Prof Barry Rubin's suggestion:
http://jiw.blogspot.com/2009/07/israel-offers-peace-plan-that-can-work.html

Prof Raphael Israeli's suggestion:
http://jiw.blogspot.com/2009/06/israeli-four-point-plan.html

Political gobbledegook:
http://jiw.blogspot.com/2009/05/obama-meets-abbas.html

Should it be only one side that gives, gives, gives?....
http://jiw.blogspot.com/2009/05/reciprocity-r-e-c-i-p-r-o-c-i-t-y.html

Arab rejection of peace:
http://jiw.blogspot.com/2008/07/peace-will-elude-us-until-arab-world.html

More political shenanigans:
http://jiw.blogspot.com/2008/02/two-state-two-step.html

Land-for-peace delusions:
http://jiw.blogspot.com/2007/12/israel-could-exchange-territory-to-keep.html

Peace by arrogance:
http://jiw.blogspot.com/2007/03/saudi-peace-plan-ultimatum.html

More peace-by-arrogance:
http://jiw.blogspot.com/2007/03/arab-league-ultimatum.html

TeachESL said...

Allow the Arabs from Gaza and Judea and Samaria to eventually vote in Israeli elections???? How can we allow that and not endanger our existence as the Jewish State????

Rabbi Prof. Alan Friedlander said...

Remember I am only speaking about non terrorists. The answer for your concern is in the linkage with the Jewish immigration and Arab naturalization rates. That is the key to ensure no change to current population segmentation ratio levels would occur. i.e. that the Arabs would not increase nor decrease their voting percentage via the Everyone Wins peace plan.

TeachESL said...

I posted this on my FB page.

Jerry Haber said...

Interesting idea, Prof. Here are some challenges.

1) I know of no other country in the world where a native population has to wait in line for immigrants of the majority people in order to get citizenship.

2) During the waiting period, how will the Palestinian's lot be approved? What is their incentive? Since there is virtually no immigration, you are telling people that that they may have to wait decades, or generations. Why shouldn't they turn to terror?

3) What's wrong with the current situation. Israel has annexed de facto the West Bank, and when it has difficulties, it can enter all the Palestinian cities (or shell them) with impunity. Why start with something new? And, by the way, do you have any evidence that annexation would give it any more credibility in the world? Or are you somekh on the miracle?

In short, you can't have your solution if the Arabs don't want it. There will be no economic miracle because any change in the status quo will bring terrorism. You are fantasizing about something that has no attraction for millions of people; maybe you should add something about mass hypnosis in your proposal

Don't you and I have better things to do with our time?

Rabbi Prof. Alan Friedlander said...

Thanks for writing, Jerry.

Replies to your questions:
>>> Jerry Haber: 1) I know of no other country in the world where a native population has to wait in line for immigrants of the majority people in order to get citizenship.<<<


Prof. AF: No other country in the world is being asked to create a country that has never existed in history (Palestine).



>>> 2) During the waiting period, how will the Palestinian's lot be approved? What is their incentive? Since there is virtually no immigration, you are telling people that that they may have to wait decades, or generations. Why shouldn't they turn to terror?<<<


Prof. AF: Do you turn to terror if you don't get everything you want right away? I don't think it's crazy to ask people to comply with the law if they want to join a country. On the contrary, the current beneficial attitude by the West will not last forever if the violence seems to be fueled by the benefits that the Palestinian Arabs in the territories are currently receiving. But not mere retention of their current levels is at stake. Once they do embark on the path toward Israeli citizenship, they will have the better conditions that their cousins within the Green Line already enjoy. So at that point of things I think there is some healthy jealousy there than will come into play.



>>> 3) What's wrong with the current situation. Israel has annexed de facto the West Bank, and when it has difficulties, it can enter all the Palestinian cities (or shell them) with impunity. Why start with something new?<<<


Prof. AF: The IDF is limited at keeping the peace. It took days rather than hours to find the killers from the Itamar massacre. The Gilad Shalit situation is a glaring example of another major problem with the status quo.



>>> And, by the way, do you have any evidence that annexation would give it any more credibility in the world? Or are you somekh on the miracle?<<<

Prof. AF: It would benefit the Palestinian Arabic society to not be divided from their brethren within the State of Israel, as they themselves have claimed. Social and economic improvements would be tremendous for the Palestinian Arabs.



>>> In short, you can't have your solution if the Arabs don't want it. There will be no economic miracle because any change in the status quo will bring terrorism. You are fantasizing about something that has no attraction for millions of people; <<<


Prof. AF: Peace is the aspiration of all sensible people. As long as it is clear that this is the best option on the table, everyone will agree that it is worth it. Who wouldn't rather keep their homes and the right to vote rather than risk losing both. Any further aggravation to Israel and a more right wing plan could pick up steam. The point of Everyone Wins is to avoid the need for further violence and aggravation on both sides and take the best option out there, in the context of considering all the competing interests and needs of the peoples involved.