Rush for Palestinian State...
But Which One?
by Dan Ehrlich


Arab Hatred of Israel Will Still Exist
Israel’s 1948 Declaration of Independence called for peaceful coexistence between Jews and Arabs. The Arabs saw things differently and it was one disastrous war after disastrous war that created today’s stateless Palestinians.

Those Arabs who remained in Israel have lived, for the most part, in peaceful coexistence with Israelis. And for many, according to recent polls, if and when a Palestinian state is declared, they won’t be part of it, preferring the benefits as Israeli citizens.

The growing chaotic upheavals in the Arab world may have had a bearing on their views. And it probably is creating a profound sense of urgency among the Palestinian leaderships, in the West Bank and Gaza…the feeling that time may be passing them by…a reason they are threatening to unilaterally declare their long sought after state in the near future.

As Arab governments are hit by revolts one at a time, Palestinian President Mahmood Abbas wants his state set-up before any serious and possible revolutionary process in Jordan, a country that is 80 percent Palestinian, yet officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a tribe that numbers less than 20 percent of the population.

If the growing Palestinian movement within Jordan were ever to take over the country, it would dull or even invalidate the need and legality of a West Bank-Gaza state.

This and the overall Middle East mess will almost certainly be on the mind of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he speaks to a joint session of the US Congress in the near future.

Even though Israel relies on Jordan’s king, as a rational moderate ruler, to keep the lid on trouble, perversely it could be to Israel’s advantage if there was a Palestinian takeover there. As I said, in that case there would be a defacto Palestinian state in Jordan and no need to create another one in thw West Bank and Gaza.

But, this is pure speculation in the realm of fantasy. Israel is committed to helping protect Jordan’s ruling dynasty, if for nothing else, out of respect for the tragedy that has befallen that royal family for dealing with Israel since it’s founding.

The Netanyahu speech, at the request of the Republicans, has caused the Obama Administration, dazed by the present events, to once again turn the heat up on the simmering Israel-Palestine peace process, if you can call stagnant a process.

Meanwhile, in Israel hundreds of Israeli liberals showed solidarity with US liberals calling for a Palestinian State, claiming it’s the key to lasting peace. While this can be seen as simple naivety by Americans, it's mind-boggling coming from Israelis.

Recent polls across the Middle East show the street view since 1948 has changed only in that the US, along with Israel, are now seen as regional threats. The concept that the Arab waged wars against Israel  created the refugee problem doesn’t compute with their way of thinking...Israel, not being Arab or Muslim, has no right to be in the Middle East. The Arabs have a right and duty to fight the Infidel.

On top of this, most Arabs don’t even like Palestinians, treating them much as some Europeans treated Jews. In fact, it’s hard to find a specific ethnic group anywhere that has so little care for other members of its group. Just look at a comparison:

After 1948 successive waves of Palestinian war refugees were created. At around the same time waves of Jewish refugees from Arab countries were also created. These people were immediately welcomed to Israel. But the Arab refugees were placed in what became permanent camps instead of being welcomed into the vast landmass encompassing the Arab world. In fact, by an Arab League edict, Palestinians are denied citizenship in other Arab countries.

This type of tribal and religious mindset means a Palestinian state will have little effect on popular Arab opinion. They still don’t accept Israel as a permanent reality. And this certainty is the main thing that makes Netanyahu appear such a hard-ass leader. He knows with whom he’s dealing.

What President Obama and Hillary should be doing is working out a quid pro quo deal between Israel and the Arab League where Israel would accept a Palestinian state right now if the League drops its ban on Palestinians settling in and getting passports from other Arab countries. This feature alone is unique and disgraceful. Imagine if Ireland refused to accept Irish refugees from English persecution or Germany didn't take in ethnic Germans from East Prussia (Poland) after WW2.