A New Solution for the Palestinian Problem?

Submitted by Tracy W (Canada), Dec 25, 2006 at 06:12

Mr. Pipes, do you think that it's time for Israel and the US to review their old strategy for achieving peace with the Palestinians? It's not only the Palestinians' stubborn and violent rejection of Israel's right to exist. Now the two-state solution does not seem viable anymore considering the lack of readiness shown by Palestinians to govern themselves according to democratic and peaceful means. Also, as you indicate on this column, the loyalty of Israeli Arabs is increasingly called into question.

Wouldn't it be time to think of other options, such as the handing over of certain Arab populated areas of the West Bank to Jordan for their administration, if not outright annexation (although they may object to the latter), and of Gaza to Egypt.

Regarding the Israeli Arabs, maybe a solution similar to that which took place in Cyprus, in this case transferring Israeli Arabs into Palestinian territory would be painful but the wisest in the long run. Although there are many examples in the world of different nationalities living together in harmony, this is not the case when one of them is Muslim and growing at such a high rate.

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Daniel Pipes replies:

Yes, and I raised this topic, almost a year and a half ago, at "Jordan to the West Bank, Egypt to Gaza."