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Re-Occupy.
by Simon
I've had a few conversations recently that have changed the way I think about the current conflicts around Israel.
A Bengali Muslim friend of mine suggests that a multinational force comprised mostly of Eqyptians, Turks and Jordanians but also including Lebanese, Israelis and some non-regional elements should occupy a Lebanon-Israel buffer zone a mile or two wide. Sounds good to me. A nice mix of Sunnis, Shiites, Jews and Christians. Nobody really likes each other all that much. That'll keep 'em honest.
But I'm only partly behind that one.
What has shocked me more is how much I find myself -a guy who for quite some time has been for a two-state solution on an argument that deals purely with demographics and security- agreeing with another friend of mine who says that Israel should re-occupy all of the West Bank and Gaza. But this is not about gaining territory, and it isn't against Palestinian sovereignty. Because so much of the Palestinian Authority(PA) hates Israel right now, Israel could not participate in the kind of economic relationship the PA, as a territory or a sovereign country, needs for its survival and hopeful eventual prosperity.
Instead, Israel should state these intentions and proceed. Call the PA a mostly autonomous protectorate of Israel, let it govern itself but have a police force comprised of both Israelis and Palestinians, and absolutely no military. Let them come in to Israel and work. Have Israeli(and possibly multinational) oversight of the education system, which is the biggest perpetuating force of the whole tragedy.
Last but not least, pour money into it. Hamas wouldn't be nearly as attractive if the social services they currently provide were given by a non-terrorist group.
Maybe one day there can be two separate states, but right now two-state solutions can only result in further economic depravation for the Palestinians, continued terrorist attacks for the Israelis(and accompanying suffering for non-militant palestinian civilians), or both.
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