http://web.israelinsider.com/Views/3282.htm
Maybe the Palestine/Israel standoff could be resolved through an economic solution. Somebody would buy the homes in the settlements from the Jewish occupants and let the Palestinians move in. Problem solved.
Who will pay, you ask? Well, the Palestinians can’t and the oil-rich Arabs won’t, so - you guessed it - the United States should pay.
Ok, why not? We pay for everything already. Why not buy back stolen land for someone else to live in? We have the money - we’re Americans!
But, would Palestinians want their homeland bought back for them? An Israelinsider article, An Economic Solution to the Settlement Issue, suggests that money could resolve the issue.
Problem: How would Palestinians feel about the idea of Jews being compensated for homes and lands that were never theirs in the first place? How would Bashir answer this question? From a Palestinian point of view, wouldn’t cultural pride trump economics?
But Dan do you really think that this will solve the problem? Look at America, do we really have the money or resources at this time to figure out someone else's home issues? Were facing one of the worst economic times in history since the great depresssion, with foreclosure rates soaring, right after the unemployment rates. I think that even if there was a solution to this age old Israeli/Arab situation,it wouldn't help....kinda of how oil and water will never mix, either will they. The only logical solution is to co -habitate amongst each other, and get over the differences they may have had in the past,but will this ever happen? It is probably just as likely to happen as Americah will buy back the homeland of the Palestinians.
ReplyDeleteI have several issues with this west bank wall, or rather the ramifications of the wall. First of all this wall is going to be GIGANTIC measuring over 400 miles in length, and about 25 feet tall in height. Are they trying to keep out rodents or people? The wall is made of concrete, which is great, but anything man made can be destroyed by man. If someone wants to attack you they will, no concrete wall will stop them,ecspecially considering these two countries and their differences throughout history. One of my main issues is what comes along with the wall: trenches, barbed wire, electrifying fencing, thermal imaging,video cameras, and watch towers for patrol men to patrol. Are you serious? First of all what a waste of money, second this just sounds so inhumane. This wall sounds like a great campaign for the Plunketts extermination company, on how to keep out unwanted pests or something. Also the wall does cut into designated Palestinian territory, and also around Jersualem which is considered somewhat of a holy city. Also with this wall construction alot of residents will be forced to live within designated sections of the city, which could create resource lacking ghettos, amongst other things. Also since the construction of the wall alot of farmers have lost crops and money. The wall happens to cross over into many farmers land,supposedly farmers were given permits to go and check (and water)their crops for one hour a day. But alot of farmers were denied access to their own land to farm their own crops, which resulted in the loss of money, a majority of Palestinian families depend on agriculture as a means for survival. My absolute main issue with the wall is that it will deny alot of local residents access to adequate health care. Other factors like how long it will now take an ambulance to go around (or find alternate routes) the wall to assist residents will be less time efficient, and could result in more emergencies not getting fast medical attention. The bottom line is that this wall is wrong, and construction should cease promptly. Nothing good will come of this wall if it is only constructed to benefit one group of people, and not the other.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to post my websites, they're:
ReplyDeletewww.vtjp.org/background/seperation_wall_report and http://en/wikipedia.org/wiki.israelie_west_bank_barrier. The title of my post is "Pest Control"
I don't it would be fair for Palestinians to buy housed built on their lands illegal. If somebody is gonna have to pay for the homes, it should and would be the Israeli government. Palestinians homes were taken "with their coffees still steaming hot." They did not receive any compensation for their plundered properties let alone the psychological and physical suffering they endured. Thus, if someone is going to pay some dollars on those settlements, why not call in the Israeli government to compensate the Palestine villages destroyed and taken.
ReplyDeleteThe problem with compensation is that it is viewed as aiding suicide bombings and terrorist attacks by most Israelis. I think that compensation was still a possibility for a long time but by the start of the first Intifadah in 1987 and then with the numerous suicide bombings in the 90's, Israeli public opinion pretty much threw this idea out completely. Whether right or wrong, the Israeli government sees any money they give as benefitting groups like Hamas and Fatah directly. Of course there is a circular argumement because part of the problem is a lack of a strong centralized palestiian government to regulate the flow of any money given. And of course this type of Governemnt cant be set up with out some sort of funding. From a Palestinean point of view, compensation still makes some sense and has never been completely thrown out, but I think from the Israelis point of view, it as a dead issue.
ReplyDeleteDan, before we start talking about the U.S. buying back Palestinian land from the Israelis, lets talk about the U.S. buying back Native land from Americans. Lets talk about giving the 40 acres to descendants of slaves. Its easier to look at others problems rather than admitting to our own. The reality of the situation is that money never fixes anything unless it is to fund an initiative that is thought up of by the people for the people. That has always been the biggest failure of nonprofits and outside governments. What has the U.S. solved recently with money? The only thing that trumps in this situation is solutions from both sides that actually address the root of the problem. Not economics and not cultural pride.
ReplyDelete