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Just what we don't need

Reader comment on item: Jordan to the West Bank, Egypt to Gaza: The Three-State Solution

Submitted by Ken Besig (Israel), Feb 11, 2009 at 12:37

At the moment we have a Palestinian terrorist army in the Gaza Strip and Yehuda/Shomron threatening our People and our State. However, this terrorist army is badly trained, lightly armed, intermittently paid, and largely distrusted by it's own population. Thus it represents no serious existential threat to Israel, and Israel can retaliate against it, or take reprisal actions, with little or no fear of any serious escalation by the Palestinians or even a serious military reaction against Israel.

Now let us contrast that with the presence of real Egyptian and Jordanian military forces in these two regions. Not only would they be better trained and armed, they would also be just as antagonistic towards Israel as the Palestinians. Thus rather than prevent Palestinian terror attacks on Israel, these forces would very likely support them with explosives and weaponry and encourage them psychologically. Worse, these foreign forces would be the best "human shields" possible, since the Israeli killing of an Egyptian or Jordanian soldier even accidentally, during any security operation would perforce create an international diplomatic incident, and possibly widen into a real give and take battle between Israel and the other side. In all events however, the presence of those forces would certainly prevent Israeli security forces from arresting or killing terrorist gangs enjoying the jurisdiction of those Egyptian and Jordanian security forces.

I would also point out that as the result of the Israeli Jordanian and Israel Egyptian peace treaties, neither Jordan nor Egypt may bring their armies within a certain buffer zone on Israel's border. Jordan of course may not bring soldiers, artillery, or tanks within a certain number of kilometers of the Jordan River, and Egypt may not bring heavy weapons at all, or more than 750 lightly armed policemen into the Sinai Peninsula. There are international forces in both places to make sure that this part of the treaties are absolutely and strictly honored. These treaty provisions are not to be taken lightly, since they are an important part of what has kept Israel, Jordan, and Egypt from going to war for decades now. As an Israeli citizen I strongly recommend that these treaties not be re negotiated with the intention of bringing hundreds if not thousands of Egyptian or Jordanian military forces within striking distance of the heartland of Israel.

Perhaps you say, things are different now, and we can trust to the goodwill of the Egyptian and Jordanian governments and trust their promises to protect Israel and Israelis. That's fine for you who don't live here, but for me, I would rather trust my Israel Defence Forces to protect me, thank you very much!

Submitting....

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

Daniel Pipes replies:

There are no Israelis living in Gaza, so their security is not an issue.

On the West Bank, you raise a good point. I do not envision Jordanian forces taking control of the entire area but only replacing the Palestinian Authority where it presently (in theory) controls territory.

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Reader comments (13) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Hopefully there will come a time one will begin referring to Jordan as Palestine [9 words]Anon.Aug 11, 2018 15:02244186
1AUTONOMY: For Kurdistan within Iraq, Tibet within China, so for Palestine? [701 words]RobertOct 12, 2018 23:07244186
John Bolton comes out in favor of the three-state solution [105 words]PezDispenserMay 29, 2017 17:26239377
Update on Palestinian-Jordanian Confederatoin [13 words]PezDispenserOct 12, 2016 16:25233277
Another reason why an independent Palestine isn't realistic [127 words]PezDispenserAug 26, 2016 10:26231779
Israeli Labor Court & Jordanian Labor Law in the West Bank [35 words]PezDispenserJul 20, 2015 11:26224340
3It Won't Work [40 words]DaveDec 27, 2012 16:33201993
Correction to poll results [99 words]Simcha-Yitzchak LernerSep 11, 2009 15:47161412
1Just what we don't need [440 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Ken BesigFeb 11, 2009 12:37150245
The poll results give added political cover to Egypt (as if it needed it) to avoid taking Gaza back [39 words]Charles MartelFeb 9, 2009 13:53150098
Stuff and nonsense [159 words]yuval brandstetter MDFeb 7, 2009 10:05149996
It would be great for Israel to get Egypt and Jordan to take them...back, but they won't [191 words]Charles MartelJan 22, 2009 10:59148746
Its not a parched ranch you know. [43 words]Abdulkarim Al-HabsiJun 11, 2009 16:28148746

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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