And that would be to initiate a NATO led force to replace the Israelis in the West Bank and Gaza and prepare that terroritory for some form of statehood.
April fools right?
LOL!!
Nope.. I was just giving it some thought after reading Friedman's book "Longitudes and Attitudes"..
And despite some of the misgivings I have about the concept of an international operation to replace the Israelis and assist in creating a viable, and moderate Palestine, in a post 9/11 world, I think it might be necessary to dispel this concept that the US is some kind of Zionist puppet.
Afterall, Israel's independence was a fait accompli, with the Jews suddenly turning an arbitrary UN partition into a nation-state. It would seem that the UN, enforced by NATO, has the same capability, if not responsibility..
Now mind you, IMO, this is a proposal based upon expediency and creating an well of positive feelings amongst the "arab street", not something based upon some principle that the Palestinians deserve some kind of nation based upon their uniqueness in language, religion, or culture. Because those unique qualities normally that define a "nation" simply are difficult to find amongst Palestinians. After all, how do we distinguish a West Bank/Gaza Palestinians from a Jordanian, or a Syrian, for that matter?
It's certainly not as compelling a case as might be made on behalf of the Kurds.
But it might, just might, help turn the tide of public opinion against the Islamic militants if it's seen that the West is willing to act against Israel's interests (like settling those territories)...
And at the same time, it would help rein in Israel's "independence" with regard to it's security policy. They would be able to diminish their military expenditures and focus more upon being a center of technology and economic expertise within the region.
Hawk |
