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Despite the ongoing fixation by an assortment of Israeli trendsetters and decision-makers with the concept of land for peace, for the majority of Jews living in Israel, the picture is totally different. Years of terrorist attacks, wars, and missile bombardment following pullouts from Lebanon and Gaza, ongoing menacing threats from Iran, and various international terrorist groups and mounting anti-Semitism throughout the region and the world have caused most Israeli Jews to clearly understand that the establishment of another Arab state west of the Jordan River is nothing short of national suicide.
Thus, to continue arguing that such a move by Israel will bring "recognition" and "acceptance" -- a claim which has no historical anchor, since Israel is nearly always criticized and condemned regardless of what it does or doesn't do -- is not only spurious, but illogical, since no sane country would crave acceptance at the price of national destruction.
Therefore, for our own survival, we need to get over the Oslo syndrome[*} -- that way of thinking which over the course of years has been rammed into our collective consciousness, constantly telling us "there is no solution but the two-state solution" and "we have no choice." This is nonsense. The proposed two-state solution, if carried through, will ultimately lead to one state west of the Jordan River, and it won't be a Jewish one. We need to admit this to ourselves and then take the necessary steps. Brakes must be applied to this mad dash down the path of national destruction, regardless of what the world will say.
Moreover, in order to bequeath a secure future to subsequent generations, it is not enough to simply apply the brakes. This approach, which is prevalent amongst many voices on the right, is nothing more than a valiant effort to fend off the inevitable. The hard truth, as painful as this might sound, is that if a new direction is not quickly adopted, then in all likelihood, there will be another Arab state west of the Jordan River. It may take another year, or five years or even ten years, but in the end it will happen. Thus, rather than repeating the mistake of the Gaza Disengagement and believing that somehow the worst will not happen, this time, reality should not be avoided. Therefore, in order to get the wheels moving in a positive direction, the time has come to take the initiative and to start clearly stating an alternative option.
For the sake of clarity, three options will briefly be discussed, with only one being chosen as a viable alternative. The first, and by far most desirable, would be a 100% Jewish state on all the land west of the Jordan River -- no security problems, no demographic issues, and the best option from a Torah perspective. If, hypothetically, all the Arabs were to willingly move to any of the more than twenty neighboring Arab countries, then they would no longer be placed in the awkward position of trying to identify with a culture and collective dream which is not their own. Rather, they could freely connect with the aspirations and goals of their Arab brethren. Although such an option would certainly solve many problems, it must be discounted since it is currently not feasible or realistic.
The second option which is occasionally heard is the Lieberman plan. Briefly, this arrangement calls for the shifting of the borders, rather than the moving of people, to better reflect the reality of concentrated centers of Jewish and/or Arab populations. Thus, rather than creating two states more or less according to the pre-1967 lines, as is the case in the current two-state solution proposal, this plan will create two states according to the demographic realities. Although this would certainly help with the demographic issue, it is questionable whether or not such a patchwork of populations would be manageable. Much more importantly, any way you slice it, this will lead to the creation of an Arab state west of the Jordan River, which, as I previously argued, is nothing short of national suicide.
The third option is to take the bold and long-overdue step of formally annexing Judea and Samaria. Such a move would end years of wavering uncertainty and confusion, traits which radiate weakness and guilt and are constantly exploited by our enemies. In contrast, annexation of Judea and Samaria would project a clear and firm message to our enemies and all their international supporters that this is our land, the only one we have, and we're here to stay.
From a religious perspective, such a move would also be meritorious, since we would no longer be guilty of the serious sin of rejecting the land of Israel, a gift given by God to the Jewish people. An additional side benefit of this move is that it would provide the opportunity for an expansion in the building sector, thus solving the problem of the housing shortage and skyrocketing prices as well as alleviating the congestion in the center of the country.
The obvious drawback in this plan is that it will further complicate the demographic issue. While Israel today is faced with many complex problems vis-à-vis its Arab population -- a group which composes roughly 20% of the total population, after annexation, assuming all the Arabs would stay and would accept citizenship -- this number would grow to anywhere between 30% and 35%. Without downplaying the severity of this issue, it is nonetheless only a "problem," and like any problem, it will have to be addressed, dealt with, and solved. This, however, is infinitely preferable to being destroyed, which is the near-certain outcome of the current two-state solution.
Regarding all the nitty-gritty details, there are others far more qualified than I am who can deal with all the legal, security, and economic issues. My intention is to simply help place this idea on the public agenda as a real, viable option, one that should be studied and pursued. Of course, many will predictably say that "it cannot be done" or that "the world will not allow us to annex Judea and Samaria," but such expected voices should not deter us. Rather, they should cause us to understand that as a nation, we have a choice: Either we quickly shift our collective thinking and behavior and do what must be done, or we simply close our eyes while the whole country, ourselves included, gets washed away.
For the sake of Israel and the residents of the region, annexation must be considered, since it is the only possible option that can lead to regional stability.
[*] The Oslo Syndrome -- essentially when the victim adopts the point of view of the victimizer -- is explained in the book of the same name by Kenneth Levine.
Editor's Note:
I was impressed by how many of the readers of the original article saw this as a matter of survival. As one said, "It's important to perceive reality, distasteful as may be, as it really is."
The assumption that the Arabs would automatically be given the vote was challenged. Interestingly enough, when the formal division the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East into a 99% chunk for the Arabs and 1% for the Jews was established, the thought was that the local non-Jewish population would be guaranteed human rights but not political (voting) rights. These are some of those that contributed amplification and new ideas.
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Posted by: Matthew Quigley Oct 24, 12:40 AM An excellent idea, and one I've thought well of since the 1980's. However, the Arabs would freak. Why? The State of Israel is on land that mohammedans had claimed as Dar ul-Islam, and Jews are viewed as dhimmi...by re-establishing Israel, to the mohammedan mind, Jews have broken the dhimma and have encroached on Dar ul-Islam. To the mohammedans, lands once theirs, whether originally or by theft (as they stole Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya and the rest of north Africa, Turkey, Iraq, Iran...shall I go on?) are mohammedan always. The amount of land doesn't matter, rather, it's that the Jews had the temerity to take their land back from "Allah's" followers. Still, the Arabs hate the Jews because the Jews have the equal temerity to exist and to defend themselves. So I say: Israel should annex GOLAN, JUDEA AND SAMARIA and tell the Arabs to go to blazes! Let the Arabs freak, let Obama freak and let the UN freak...then let them go to Hell. Israel has an absolute right to secure borders and to self defense. NEVER AGAIN!!! |
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Posted by: Nechama Oct 24, 12:56 AM I've been encouraging annexing the land for some time, but why do you jump to the conclusion that arabs living in an annexed Judea & Samaria would be granted Israeli citizenship? Most of them hold or held Jordanian citizenship and that is what they should be considered, including arab residents of Jerusalem. If they want to continue living under Israeli rule, they would be allowed to remain as alien residents, without right to Israeli citizenship. If they are members of or have links to any terrorist groups, i.e., hamas, they should have their permission to remain in Israel revoked, and forced into exile and/or moved, by force if necessary, to Gaza. There are 22 arab states, 47 countries have muslim majorities, 27 are 90%+ muslim, 8 are 100% muslim. There are more than enough countries where they can go. There is only one tiny Jewish state. If they want to remain in Israel, they should be required to take a loyalty oath to the Jewish state of Israel - if they refuse, they must leave. In fact, I think all citizens in Israel should be forced to take that same oath - Jew and non-Jew alike. And most importantly, it's time Israel demand that the law passed by the League of Nations, still in effect, be enforced declaring all Palestine be returned for the reconstruction of the Jewish homeland. Obviously Israel would not demand the return of Jordan, but Israel should definitey include Judea & Samaria. I cannot understand why Israel didn't demand this immediately after 1948 when the arabs refused to accept partition, or after all the other attempts for peace that the arabs refused. Time to accept the reality that they will never make peace with Israel. abbas openly admits he will never accept Israel as the Jewish homeland. He also insisted that his idea of a palestinian state would be Judenrein. He makes such statements and the world remains silent. Let's be honest — no matter what Israel does, most of the world will criticize us, so it's time for Israel to annex the land as an act of justifiable national self-defense. |
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Posted by: Samael Oct 24, 02:16 AM I agree with Nechama. No loyalty, no citizenship. And, due to the exact words of the terrorist that tried to attack New York the other day, I would never accept any of their words, for any reason. They'll say yes, then backstab you the minue they can gain something, or kill you for not being Muslim. If that's the way Arab Muslims act, then they can't receive any better treatment than they give. To do so would be hypocritical and perverse. Expel them all to Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. And the rest can go to Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and any of the fifty other Muslim countries. Legally, the "Palestinians" are just Arabs from Jordan and Egypt, who didn't want them, and the Europeans, U.S. State Department, and UN are all pro-Arab/pro-oil, and will bend over for whatever they have to say. Any lands gained in 1967 are legal, due to the Egyptian blockade, Syrian shelling the Galilee, and Jordan stepping in (when Egypt lied and Israel and the US warned them not to fight, and all of which are acts of war). They lost, too bad for them. History isn't kind to losers, and neither is the truth. Unfortunately, they have too many enablers, who hate Jews or love the Arabs, so I don't see this ending any other way than violence. But if that's what it will take, the Arabs have never won, and it's time that they get reminded of that, for about the fifth time. Hopefully, it sticks this time. |
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Posted by: Yoni Oct 24, 02:22 AM One creative approach that would allow Israel to annex Judea and Samaria and still maintain an overwhelming demographic Jewish majority would be to offer Israel citizenship to Jews living outside of Israel. |
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Posted by: AdinaF,Israel Oct 24, 02:25 AM Reading, The Oslo Syndrome: Delusions of a People Under Siege explains the inexplicable. It explains through cogent analysis the historical and psychological underpinnings of Israeli leadership's penchant for irrational decision-making, decisions that have invariably exploded in our faces, yet are repeated again and again. The urgent question becomes - after so many dead and wounded, how do they turn things around? This article lays bare very essential, salient truths, many of which will make others crazy, but who cares, it is our very lives on the line. We have no time to lose. Our leaders have no choice but to buck up and change the calculus, dumping Oslo like the death albatross that it has become.Moreover, there are many creative ways to assure that PA Arabs do not overwhelm us politically.In fact, there are various precedents for giving resident rights, but no political rights. One only has to assert that PA Arabs have almost no rights under Jordan, Lebanon and other regions where they are living, yet no one dares to suggest that this is unworkable. Human, civil rights, of course.Political, never. At the end of the day, our leaders will have to man up, expose their cowardice in accepting the Oslo Peace/Death solution, and finally admit that accepting it has been a peace of our graves. To this end, they are obligated to reverse course, set up a fresh blueprint for our survival, thus reclaiming our historical/biblical land, a land which we won through aggressive wars against us. Moreover, I dare anyone, anywhere to find me an instance in history where the winner of a defensive war did not get to keep the conquered land!Besides, our leaders are mandated to protect us at all costs, otherwise they lose their legitimacy to lead.They would do well to 'rearrange the decks'. Now! |
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Posted by: monostor Oct 24, 08:35 AM "Moreover, I dare anyone, anywhere to find me an instance in history where the winner of a defensive war did not get to keep the conquered land" Adina, you forget that the screw-up was not imposed from outside, but was the "work" of Judge Shamgar His Highness himself. [For Howard Grief on this important subject, click here and here.] The political establishment closed its eyes and the rest is history! At least that's how most of the Israeli people are seeing it until this day. Ask around. To reverse course now the politicos have to aquire what never had, a spine. |
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Posted by: evan316 Oct 24, 02:47 PM Observer, Israel has more support then I think you or anyone else realize. The Juan Williams syndrome has opened a flood gate in my view. PC is looking at the end of its life, people will finally start to see the absurdity and others will gradually start to express none PC views, including support for Israel. The marxist and dims along with the musilms are reaching an end of life in my view, their lies are about to loose all their hot air. I have always supported Israel and I have listened to libs rail against Israel all these years, including American Jews. All this PC peace is just so much hot air and hate from the left. I still remember the left helping Rhodesia right of existence, same in S Africa. When the africans are starving, they best not depend on my and mine for support, they are free to chart their own path and if that means starving and disease, which is what the left usually delivers, fine by me. Stupid people get what they ask for. |
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Posted by: bubblehead Oct 25, 12:52 PM Annexation is probably the best of many very bad choices. However, you must have a plan for the "Final Solution to the Arab Problem". I use these provocative terms after careful consideration because The State of Israel, after annexation will be a Jewish State with a Jewish minority within two generations. By the end of the third generation there will be no more Jewish state, but another Arab state with an increasingly harassed dhimmi Jewish community. I'm all for annexation, as long as deportation of all Arabs who are not Jewish citizens is a non-negotiable part of the plan. If Israel does not have the stomach to face up to the world painting a swastika over the Star of David, accepting the truth of the parallels while defending the differences, then don't even bother; you will fail. |
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Posted by: Marcella, Canada Oct 25, 03:08 PM The Arab demographic threat is real and will only get worse, even if Israel does NOT annex the land. The percentage of Arab youth is increasing more rapidly. If Israel is partitioned: - There will be less incentive for Aliyah. - Your neighbors, including the state of Palestine, won't get any friendlier. - The left will continue to encourage the assimilation of African infiltrators and foreign workers. - Arabs will make more land demands. An Arab corridor to Gaza splitting Israel in two is sure to follow. The real threat against a Jewish Israel is not just Arab demographic growth but SELF-DESTRUCTIVE POLICIES that weaken Israel's sovereignty and the people's resolve to be a true Jewish state. So measures MUST be taken in any case (One State or Two States) to ensure the Jewish nature of Israel - and they DO NOT include genocide or mass expulsions. A few suggestions: - A properly enforced Citizenship Act for all new Arabs. They would have to apply individually, have clean police record, and swear allegiance to the Jewish State. - A radical modification of benefit payments to large polygamous families. - A well-funded agency to financially assist any Arab family, with citizenship or not, to emigrate abroad. - Strip citizenship from those involved in treason - Arabs or Jews. - An effective program to reclaim control over Israeli institutions away from the left, such as universities, courts, media, etc. It would take a simple Knesset mayority to amend the Basic Law that gave extraordinary powers to the Supreme Court. A change to the electoral law would help, making MKs answerable to the voters, not the party boss. All these radical changes would pave the way for increased Jewish control of the country. So, if Israelis must take radical measures to remain a majority anyway - it makes sense to do it while preventing the creation of another Arab state in the Jewish heartland. The present dilemma of One versus Two States is causing actual paralysis. Nobody is doing anything, with the result that the Arabs are going to declare unilateral ... (350 word limit) |
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Posted by: Robert Haymond Oct 26, 01:42 AM Evan316: It is apparent that the western European nations (except the UK) are waking up to the Muslim threats from within. One views this with respect to the immensely growing popularity of Geert Wilders and his political party in the Netherlands, the strong showing of a rightwing anti-immigration party in Sweden, the banning of minarets in Switzerland and the banning of burkas in France. These events mark the beginning of European challenges to homegrown Islamic terrorism and failed multiculturalism. Unforunately, I think that the once great bastion of resistance, the UK, is too far gone. I would refer you to the book entitled "Londonstan" by Melanie Phillips. |
Yoel Meltzer has a M.A. in He lives in Israel.
This article was published October 24, 2010 in American Thinker and is
archived at
http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/10/annexation_now.html
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