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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LLLefty who wrote (23966)	4/8/2002 7:37:27 PM
From: Dennis O'Bell	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 281500

BTW, a question that hasn't been asked for some years:is a Palestinian state viable without open borders with Israel or would it became another of the world's basket case. I haven't seen any studies of late. One datapoint is post-French colonial Algeria. Forty years ago last month the French threw in the towel. This year over 200 and counting dead at the hands of Islamist extremists. Not exactly a shining example of democratic success. I can also assure everyone that the war criminals behind the Intifada will successfully recycle themselves in businessmen of one form or another if and when the Jews are expelled from Israel. Just look at the Khmer Rouges responsible for the Cambodian genocide.

To: LLLefty who wrote (23966)	4/8/2002 8:56:11 PM
From: KyrosL	Respond to of 281500

Lefty you are right. I should have said 300K inhabitants rather than housing units. I think the Palestinians are used to denser living conditions than the Israelis. My point in all this is that we have to win over the Palestinian refugees to this process. This whole "right to return" thing is about economics. It's a relatively small minority of militant dreamers that convert it to an ideological fight to the death. I am convinced that if you put a solid figure of dollars in front of the refugees and their descendants that promises their families a solid economic basis in any country they wish to settle (and I am assuming most will choose the West Bank,) the militants will lose much of their power and Arafat will be able to negotiate in good faith. Start leaking a figure like, say $5,000 per head. Make it public. It will be rejected initially, but it will start debates and arguments. Pretty soon the issue will become "how much money" rather than "we want to return to our old orange grove." Kyros