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The Forum > Article Comments > Palestine: integrating Jordan's two banks could reap big rewards > Comments

Palestine: integrating Jordan's two banks could reap big rewards : Comments

By David Singer, published 31/10/2012

Unifying the two banks of the Jordan could end the Arab-Israeli conflict.

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continued

Yuyutsu wrote;

There are currently 9 Arab MK's (not 17): perhaps you counted the 4 Druze members among them, but these mostly belong to Jewish/Zionist parties. Overall, Arab vote to the last Knesset was 53.4% compared with 64.7% overall, yet many of them traditionally cast blank papers as informal votes.

Dear Yuyutsu,

It is good that non-Jews have representation, but it is bad that the parties represent various religious and ethnic groups. Democracy rests in part on the ability of the voters to change their opinions as parties change their platforms. In Australia voters may vote Labor, Liberal, Green, National etc. and change their votes depending on the programs the various parties put forth. However, if we had parties based on the various sectarian divisions a Catholic is in general not going to vote for the Uniting Church party regardless of its program.

Yuyutsu wrote:

You also seem to overlook the fact that more than 90% of the West Bank was offered to the PLO in 2000 and 2008 and knocked back on each occasion.

Dear Yuyutsu,

We don’t know the details of the offer. However, if it was a genuine offer Arafat was probably afraid of his skin. If he had accepted the offer he could have been afraid of being assassinated as Rabin was by a Jewish fanatic and Sadat was by a Muslim fanatic. People who work for peace in the Middle East are risking their lives.
Posted by david f, Tuesday, 6 November 2012 6:09:08 PM
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Dear David F.,

<<They were forced to leave. They were not forced to come to Israel. Israel wanted them. They should be compensated for their losses>>

Actually, some WERE forced to come to Israel, others not, most preferred to come to Israel anyway once forced out of their homes, others went to France. None were compensated.

<<How do you achieve a non-Muslim state? Do you ethnically cleanse the Muslims already there?>>

Certainly not, but you try to limit your area to where non-Muslims live (to the extent security allows) and not allow further Muslims to come in (as long as they remain hostile).

Arab-Israelis have more choice at the ballot than Australians. It's a pity so many of them either don't vote or drop a blank paper in the ballot, otherwise they could have changed the face of Israel. Most who do vote, are divided between two Muslim parties and two communist parties, but a few do vote for other Israeli parties. Many do change their votes between elections, but usually at the behest of their clan leader.

Yes, fear of assassination is a constant companion in the Middle-East, but when Arafat wanted, he did sign controversial agreements despite all. We may not know ALL details, but we do know a lot about the offers Arafat received. They included getting 97% of the West-Bank area, the other 3% in land ceded from Israel proper, a symbolic return of a 5-digit number of refugees, compensation for the others, a free-access bridge/tunnel between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and free access to the holy Muslim places in Jerusalem.

Overall, you must understand that the realities of war are quite different than the reality Australians are used to, and the greys exceed the black-and-white. Trying to apply democratic standards in the midst of primitive hatred and fear is Don-Quixotic.
Posted by Yuyutsu, Tuesday, 6 November 2012 7:10:34 PM
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After the 1967 war Israel was quite willing to give the conquered territory back. They asked for recognition and a treaty. The Khartoum Resolution of September 1, 1967 was issued at the conclusion of the 1967 war. An Arab League summit convened in the wake of the Six-Day War. The summit lasted from August 29 to September 1 and was attended by eight Arab heads of state. The resolution called for: a continued state of belligerency with Israel, ending the Arab oil boycott declared during the Six-Day War, an end to the North Yemen Civil War, and economic assistance for Egypt and Jordan. It is famous for containing (in the third paragraph) what became known as the "Three 'No's": "no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with it."

At that time there could have been peace if the Arab countries had been willing.

The visit to Israel of Anwar Sadat after the 1971 war resulted in a peace treaty and recognition of Israel by Egypt. Israel returned the Sinai to Egypt. Although they are not friendly they still maintain embassies and cooperate to some extent.

Feeling that there was little or no chance for peace with the other Arab countries Israel built settlements in the occupied territories. This was a violation of international law since victorious nations are allowed to have an army of occupation but are forbidden to build permanent civilian settlements.

There has been cooperation with some Arab states. Egypt has cooperated with Israel to the blockade of Gaza. When Israel bombed the Osirak reactor in Iraq the planes flew over both Jordanian and Saudi Arabian territory apparently with the consent of those governments.

The Arab states have changed their policy of ‘no peace, no recognition, no negotiations’. Saudi Arabia has made peace overtures to Israel. Netanyahu refuses to either curtail the settlements or have peace talks with Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries. He may fear assassination. When Israel was willing to make peace the Arabs weren’t. Now the situation is reversed. If both sides simultaneously wanted peace there would be peace.
Posted by david f, Tuesday, 6 November 2012 10:16:04 PM
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