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The solution is simple but the status quo is preferable in Israel

Reader comment on item: Jordan at the Precipice

Submitted by Eyad Nusayr (United States), Apr 3, 2017 at 20:40

As a Jordanian my self (indigenous) I can tell you that, regarding the Palestinian issue, Jordanian see themselves as victims of both Israel and the autocratic regime. The creation of Israel doubled the population of Jordan with refugees that lost almost everything they could not carry including the social fabric of their villages and towns. The regime, on the other hand, illegally annexed the west bank and forced its citizenship down their throats without consulting us or them.

Some say the regime did this because it wanted to expand its tax base. More cynical commentators say that the only reason the British created the kingdom was to give Israel a place to send the refugees to once it was created (the so-called alternative state solution). These commentators point out the fact that after King Hussein surrendered the claim to sovereignty over the West Bank in 1988, effectively reversing the annexation, he did not also rescind the citizenship of the those west bankers who became citizens because of the annexation. So essentially, Israel got the land and Jordan got the population.

Asking Jordan to re-annex the west bank will be met with a lot of resistance form all parties in Jordan whether indigenous or Palestinian. The solution is actually in Israel's hands but they would prefer the status quo because they want Israel to be a Jewish majority state. I'm talking of course about the one-state solution.

Israelis believes that the one state solution will put the Jewish population under the threat of a fifth column and another holocaust and will destroy their democracy. It seems that they think that their distant cousins carry genes that prevent them from becoming democratic or leftist or trustworthy fellow citizens. I was once told by an American Israeli dual citizen that they can't trust Palestinians to adopt western-style human rights and democracy because they had a tough time teaching the Jews that came from Iraq, Egypt and other middle-eastern countries these values and it took a generation. I told him if you can teach one middle-eastern group you can teach another and waiting a generation is a small price to pay in return for a long-term solution.

The alternatives are not pretty including the status quo.Right wing voices in Israel are suggesting a "population transfer" essentially a euphemism for ethnic cleansing. Like every other state in history Israel will weaken and fall and the fate of its Jewish inhabitants will depend on their good relations with their non-Jewish neighbors.

Submitting....

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Daniel Pipes replies:

Caroline Glick argues your point in her book. I can't imagine that Israelis will follow her or your advice, however. Nor would I recommend that they do. There's a slight difference between Mizrahi Jews and Muslims.

Reader comments (22) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Prince Hamzah, Sharif Hassan bin Zaid, and Bassem Awadallah [127 words]RobertJun 28, 2021 11:32269172
3"Jordan's 2016 constitutional amendments: A return to absolute monarchy?" [121 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
RobertOct 17, 2018 08:07245501
1"It's possible to overthrow Jordan's king" - Rachel Avraham [504 words]RobertOct 22, 2018 07:57245501
2Is Jordan "Czechoslovakia"? [89 words]RobertOct 16, 2018 14:24245484
The solution is simple but the status quo is preferable in Israel [415 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Eyad NusayrApr 3, 2017 20:40238133
Jordan at the Precipice [84 words]Angel Oteros GonzálezApr 2, 2017 15:42238073
Three State Solution [202 words]Michael SMar 22, 2017 06:31237832
Changes of State [267 words]M ToveyMar 28, 2017 18:14237832
Changes of State - Follow On and Continuing [175 words]M ToveyMar 30, 2017 13:41237832
Thwarting the 'Palestinian' Paradigm - Again [244 words]M ToveyApr 12, 2021 14:39237832
The Status quo is not viable. [88 words]David W. LincolnMar 16, 2017 19:27237654
2Context: Nine Eleven, Arab Spring, & Western Populism Under Trump Bannon [1075 words]RobertMar 11, 2017 12:03237501
Jordan needs to take steps to avoid collapse. [116 words]Anne- USAMar 17, 2017 08:24237501
1Option of Fatah rule in West Bank is pure Western fantasy and doesn't exist in the real world [271 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
G MarcusMar 9, 2017 08:28237256
2Any Pal-Arab state in the West Bank would threaten Jordan even more than Israel [167 words]G MarcusMar 15, 2017 08:32237256
The Commuter Plan [183 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
PezDispenserMar 8, 2017 15:24237239
Rejection of the 'Palestinian' Model - Rejecting the Ancient Roman Influences [263 words]M ToveyMar 14, 2017 18:12237239
Had the PLO succeeded in the 70's, would Jordan have become acknowledged as Palestine? [7 words]AnonMar 8, 2017 15:07237238
Jordan at the Precipice [154 words]Judith DaviesMar 8, 2017 14:20237237
The Palestinian State [119 words]Dr. M.J. MarkoffMar 8, 2017 12:00237236
Excellent report, time to see the obvious [165 words]MalcolmMar 8, 2017 11:38237235
The Dire Dilemma of Jordan [216 words]M ToveyMar 8, 2017 11:14237234

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