Modest Proposal to End the Israel-Palestine Conflict

https://wp.me/p7NAzO-3e6

I have thought about the Israel-Palestinian conflict for a long time. I have never been to the region and have no professional expertise as my professional expertise has always been in East Asia.

I believe that the impasse is largely caused by the right-wing in Israel which refuses to seriously negotiate a viable Palestinian state, the refusal of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority to recognize Israel’s right to exist, and Iranian malign influence and support of Hamas.

Having said that here are some of my comments on the Middle East including a proposal for a new way of thinking about the issue.  The bottom line is simply this at some point both the Israelis and the Palestinians will tire of the endless wars and reach a settlement.

I propose a four-state solution = a Transjordan federation consisting of Israel, Palestine (with a land bridge linking Gaza and the West Bank) Jordan, and Jerusalem which will serve as the federation capital as well as the capital of both Israel and Palestinian states. The following letter to President Trump outlines my proposal.

Middle East War Choka

 

watching morning news

war in the middle east

congressional breakdown

 

drinking my coffee

transfixed watching the war.

both sides blame each other

 

will peace ever come?

hard to see beyond hate.

Neither can get beyond that.

 

in the end, they must

embrace two-state solution.

many will die before then.

 

Dear President Trump

 

I am retired U.S. State Department foreign service officer.  I never served in the Middle East but volunteered to go to Yemen and I have been following the mid-east peace process for decades.   Here are my suggestions for a way forward.  I hope you can consider them.

Convene another Camp David Peace conference but invite Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, UAE and Syria to the conference as well as Israel and Palestine.

Suggest that the trans-Jordan countries form the Confederate States of the Trans Jordon and have that state be the successor state to Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, and include Jerusalem as a separate state.

Announce that the Trans Jordon Federation would recognize Islam, Christianity, and Judaism as official religions with state support, but individuals would be free to practice any religion or no religion.

Announce that the Federation Capitol would be Jerusalem, which will also be the capital of Israel, and Palestine, the Jordanian capital would remain in Aman.

Jews and Palestinians would have the right to return. A special land claims court would judge land disputes.

There would be a common market, a common currency, a joint military, and a federal government plus four State governments.

Schools would teach Arabic Hebrew and English.  The schools would though be either Arabic, Hebrew, or English (international school).   The universities would mostly teach in English for the benefit of international students which would make up to 25% of the student body.

All government documents would be published in Arabic, Hebrew, and English. Government business would be conducted in Arabic, Hebrew, and English.

Three years of public service will be required from age 18 to age 26 with each year a certain percentage being drafted.  Most would serve in the military but some would do alternative service in Federal, state, or local government service.  The terms of service could be extended once to a maximum of six years.   All training programs would provide college credit.

Officers would serve their basic service and then be admitted to the military training program or a ROTC program. Same thing for NCOs.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq would immediately recognize the new state.  Iran would explicitly recognize the right of Israel to exist.

The new state would take over the Israeli, and Jordanian seats at the UN and international organizations.

The Federal government would consist of a president and three vice presidents.  Either the President or vice President would be from Israel, the other vice presidents would be from Jordan, Palestine, or Jerusalem.  At the first presidential election, the decision would be made on a random basis on which state the President must come from, they must either be an Israeli or a Jordanian, Palestinian, or Jerusalem citizen.   Then the next election the presidency would rotate until an Israel, Palestine, and Jerusalem person has served as President the cycle would repeat. The national assembly would have reserved seats for each of the four states with 50 percent reserved for Israel, and 50 percent reserved for the other states.  The President and National Assembly would serve single six-year terms with one re-election permitted.

Israel would offer a land swap with Palestine.  Israel would create a land bridge to the Gaza Strip and expand the Gaza Strip to become the port and airport for the Palestinian state.  Israel would give up 10 to 20 percent of their land, as would Palestine.  The settlements will be frozen but would be considered to part of the new Palestinian state, but with considerable local autonomy, including having Hebrew language public schools.

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https://open.substack.com/pub/jakecosmosaller/p/modest-mid-east-peace-proposal?r=3i9lm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Substack Podcast

https://open.substack.com/pub/jakecosmosaller/p/modest-mid-east-peace-proposal-eb3?r=3i9lm&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

Spotify Podcast 

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/j-cosmos/episodes/modest-mid-east-pece-proposal-e2sbf8i

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