I think this is brilliant political move on Sharon's part
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is considering "territorial exchanges with the Palestinians as part of future permanent arrangements under which Arab Israeli localities would pass under the sovereignty of the latter, while Jewish settlements [in the West Bank] would be integrated into Israeli territory," Sharon's spokesman said yesterday. Residents of Umm el-Fahm and other Israeli Arab towns object, fearful of losing their Israeli citizenship.
"These exchanges can only take place if we have a Palestinian partner and terrorism is stifled," Sharon's spokesman Ra'anan Gissin said. "It will then be possible to have two states, Israel and the Palestinian state, coexisting peacefully side by side."
web.israelinsider.com;
because now the entire Israeli Arab community will be roused to protest desperately, loudly, against any border town ever being transferred into Palestine. No! They want to stay in Israel! (wouldn't you? they may be Arabs, but they're not stupid). Maybe even, Sharon can shift the public argument to, well, if Israel keeps all these Arab towns, Palestine could keep a Jewish town or two, in the future, when there is peace and a decent Palestinian government.
Which is what the public debate should have sounded like all along. |
