From: CurtAdams@aol.com
Date: Thu Apr 18 2002 - 15:39:49 MDT
In a message dated 4/18/02 7:38:58, talon57@well.com writes:
>I favor a negotiated settlement to the troubles in the Middle East,
>I think the result of this settlement includes both Israel and a
>new and sovereign Palestinian state.
>
>Some of the problems:
>
>1) Terrorism, the PLO has returned to it's use, both as a
>negotiating tool to try and get a better deal, and possibly to
>achieve Arafats lifelong dream of destroying Israel.
>
>I oppose terrorism 100%, the one thing we should make clear is that
>terrorism is not a valid negotiating tactic and will not be
>tolerated.
>
>2) The land, I favor modified borders to the 1967 boundaries which
>proved indefensible.
>
>There is an interesting possibility on the land I have not seen
>discussed yet. Modern Jordan is composed of land that has largely
>been historically Palestinian, in fact 80% of it's population is
>Palestinian. Since the issue will come up sooner or later, why not
>divide Jordan and unite the Palestinian part.
>
>3) The Settlements, some of these settlements are no more than
>suburbs of existing Israeli cities and were built in areas where
>the borders were weak, I tend to favor keeping these, others are
>not so strategic and I think it should be made clear to those
>living there that under the settlement this will be Palestinian
>land, and they are therefore subject to Palestinian law.
>
>4) Resettlement, probably the most difficult issue. About 450,000
>Palestinians fled Israel at the Arabs insistence during the 1947
>war, although some did resettle, others did not.
>
>Here's the rub, 820,000 Jews were kicked out of surrounding Arab
>lands and their property/possessions confiscated. 546,000 of these
>were resettled in Israel with no more than the cloths on their
>backs and at great expense.
>
>Any discussion of this issue will need to include ALL refugees.
It's interesting that we've been arguing so avidly. If I were to devise a
Solomonic solution it wouldn't be all that different from yours. Actually,
yours isn't too different from the Saudi plan either. I disagree in that I
don't think stopping the violence first is necessary. Particularly when one
of the sides is highly divided and disorganized, negotiation is an excellent
technique for settling things down.
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