JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

01/06/09 03:00 PM

This one is outside the box right now - I think its a pretty brilliant solution.  Keep your eye on the reception this idea gets in the Middle East, among other places. 

John R. Bolton’s complete OpEd piece from the Sunday, January 5, 2009, Washington Post is worth reading and can be found here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/04/AR2009010401434.html

01/06/09 04:23 PM

And how convince Jordan and Egypt to take over such dangers places like Gaza and West Bank? They have enough troubles with own people.

01/06/09 04:34 PM

The PLO tried to overthrow the government of Kuwait and got kicked out; they tried to overthrow the government of Jordan and got kicked out; they tried to overthrow the government of Lebanon and got kicked out.

Egypt and Jordan would be nuts to take on these sociopaths. An international quarantine is the only solution until a radical change in the Palestinian self-image takes place.

Current education and press content in both Gaza and the West Bank does not augur well for such a change any time soon.

David Sternlight, Ph.D.
Los Angeles

01/06/09 04:44 PM

John Bolton’s idea is brilliant.  Not because he really believes his proposal has any chance to fly, but precisely because it doesn’t.  By putting the onus on the Arabs, and watch how they object to having anything to do with their “brethren” Palestinians, maybe the world will finally pause and think.

01/06/09 09:20 PM

Hamas is a Sunni outfit whose natural constituency would be in the wealthy ,socially conservative, Gulf and Saudi Arabia.
Hamas may be using this opportunity to get out from under Iran and realign with the really deep pockets.
The fact that Hizbollah- Iran’s other protege- has sat on its hands, taken with Teheran’s financial woes might make this the obvious move for Hamas.
Israel too may have sensed a shift in strategy on the part of Hamas. There are sound strategic reasons to regard surrender of the Golan Heights to Syria a far more genuine existential threat than anything Hamas might get up to.
Another point has to do with Israel’s ability to greatly improve its intelligence on the ground in Gaza during this period which may go a long way to assuaging its fears.
If Hamas can get out from under Iran, it may chose to become the lightning rod for the Anti Zionist rain cloud. If Syria and Iran are frozen out of this stage at this point it greatly reduces their bargaining power with the new President.
Another point has to do with the possibility that Hamas may now be evolving into the sort of opposition party Fatah can’t simply liquidate. However, if the Palestinians move to a two party system then they will have moved a long way down to the road to the sort of democracy that can address bread and butter issues which is the only antidote to the poison of terrorism and self-destruction.
Memories of failures in Lebanon are not relevant here. Israel has moved in a calculated and coordinated manner. I have no idea how they might pull a rabbit out of this particular hat but I certainly don’t think anyone should write off this initiative just yet.
Ultimately, since Israel has probably done least to contribute to the problems of the Palestinians, it follows that Israel has the most to gain from their setting their own house in order and developing into a democratic partner for the West.

01/07/09 01:39 PM

Restoring the “status quo ante bellum” (1967) sounds like a tempting idea, but I’m pretty sure both Egypt and Jordan would have nothing to do with it.  I’m open to the possibility of a pleasant surprise, however.

01/08/09 05:00 PM

Interesting idea.  But no one, especially the Arab states, wants the Palestinians!  You can’t bribe them to take them.
I would suggest that everyone read MK Benny Elon’s “Peace Initiative”.  Now, that’s a sound solution for the betterment of everyone!