One after another, members of Knesset from various factions presented the alternative to the policy of dividing the Land of Israel. The “two-state” delusion is fading away.
The understanding that the delusional idea of dividing the Land of Israel and establishing a terror state in its heart is a doomed to failure, as has been proven in recent decades, has led to a special gathering in the Knesset of Israel entitled the Conference for Alternative Policy.
At the conference (June 27th 2017), led by MK Yehuda Glick, policy alternatives of MKs from the nationalist camp were presented. The speakers in the conference were Deputy Minister MK Michael Oren (Kulanu), MK Yoav Kish (Likud), MK Bezalel Smotrich (National Union), MK Yehuda Glick (Likud) and Head of the Zehut (Identity) party, former MK Moshe Feiglin.
The conference was opened by MK Glick, who said, at the start of the discussion, that “for years everyone that has been interviewed in the media has been saying “we all know that there will be a Palestinian state” and that when someone dares to say anything else, they attacked him and asked him “What is the alternative”?. We all know that there are alternatives to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We have not brought solutions that include the expulsion of populations – not from the Right or the Left. We will hear, here, serious positions of people from the entire political spectrum who understand that the option of establishing a Palestinian state will endanger the State of Israel”.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, MK Michael Oren (Kulanu), who presented the policy of the Kulanu part, said at the conference that “We must take the Middle Eastern approach to a Middle Eastern conflict; anyone who bases his solution on two states for two peoples has a 100% chance of failure. The Palestinian president, Abbas, is an unelected leader, who does not even control the West Bank. No Palestinian would recognize the existence of the Jewish People. Yet there is a good chance that efforts to institute the existing situation – a reality of two states – will succeed. The great majority of Palestinians do not come into contact with Israelis and enjoy an extensive autonomy. At the same time, there is significant economic cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians. We must strengthen the “two state situation” by fostering economic development, building infrastructure and institutions among the Palestinians, together with strengthening the security cooperation between them and Israel”.
According to him, “While we maintain a political outlook that might eventually lead to an arrangement of two states, we must take the Middle Eastern approach to this Middle Eastern conflict. Instead of official agreements between legitimate leaders, we must strive for unofficial understandings between interested parties. Such an approach will preserve the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and the unity of Jerusalem, and will win the implicit support of the moderate Arab states. The Arab states in the area are expected to be more open to us economically and politically if we create a more stable, open and prosperous reality with the Palestinians”.
MK Glick (Likud) presented his plan, which is based on applying Israeli law in Judea and Samaria, giving citizenship to the Palestinians, establishing one state in which there will be regional rule throughout Israel and a central federal government: “expelling a population as a way to achieve political settlement is the opposite of peace. Peace, by definition, is a situation in which two populations live together harmoniously and – in peace! Separation only inflames and increases hatred, since it isolates the Palestinians and cuts them off from employment opportunities and their relatives who live in Israel. Separation is the opposite of good neighborly relations. Separation is not ethical and separation is not peace”.
Glick added that: “There are 27 federal states in the world today. Most are modern and developed states and some are among the wealthiest and most developed in the world, like Switzerland, the United States, Australia, Germany, Canada, Belgium and others. Some of these states suffered in the past from severe and violent conflicts between the peoples and the ethnic groups that live in them, which the federal regime solved and made it possible for them to enter into a period of stability, prosperity and growth. I believe that this will happen in Israel, as one state, as well”.
MK Yoav Kish (Likud), one of the heads of the Land of Israel Lobby, presented the “Autonomy Plan” at the conference: “The objective of my plan is first of all to totally remove the proposal of establishing a Palestinian state from the agenda. This would be a colossal disaster for the State of Israel and the State of Israel must do everything possible to prevent it. On the other hand, there are those who promote the proposal of establishing a bi-national state which, in my opinion, would lead to the end of the Zionist dream and the elimination of Israel as a Jewish, democratic state”.
“My aspiration is to apply sovereignty over the maximum territory with the minimum number of Arabs in Judea and Samaria, with no citizen, Jew or Arab, being expelled from his home. A local autonomy will be established for the Arabs, which will enable continuity of movement and transportation and the development of economic peace. I believe that at this time, this plan is the only relevant and feasible one, which can preserve Israeli as both Jewish and democratic. The plan maintains Israeli security while giving autonomy to the Arabs in Judea and Samaria, allowing them maximum independence and good quality of life”, says Kish.
According to him, indeed, “the autonomy plan is not a perfect solution, but there is no perfect solution. This plan is the only one at this time that presents an independent Israeli initiative that can also win U.S. support”.
MK Bezalel Smotrich (Habayit Hayehudi), also one of the heads of the Land of Israel Lobby, also spoke at the conference: “I want to arrive at peace and coexistence between the two peoples. I will not be satisfied with less than this. The basis for the plan is the understanding that in Israel, there exist two conflicting national aspirations that cannot be settled by an artificial division of the territory. An artificial division of the territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River will allow an Arab national aspiration, conflicting with the Jewish one, to remain, and will perpetuate the conflict for another 100 bloody years”.
“The basis of the proposal is the resolution of the conflict”, said Smotrich. “A resolution that would mean the end of the Arab hope of realizing their national aspiration within the Land of Israel. It would be a resolution oriented toward Jewish communities – that would include the application of sovereignty over the entire Land of Israel, establishing many cities and communities and bringing in hundreds of thousands more people. These steps will instill within the Arabs the understanding that an Arab state will not arise between the sea and the Jordan. The resolution would be accompanied by supportive steps such as encouraging Arab emigration, encouraging Jewish immigration and an increase in childbirth among the Jewish people and more”.
“For the Arabs of Judea and Samaria who would be willing to give up their national aspirations and live here as private citizens, the establishment of regional municipal administrations will be proposed, with the residents having the right to vote in local elections. These administrations will maintain connections among themselves and with the State of Israel and will enjoy the democratic rights of freedom of expression, freedom of movement, self-administration and so forth. For those who do not accept Israeli sovereignty and choose to leave, they will receive economic support and aid in emigration. The Arabs of Judea and Samaria who choose to fight the State of Israel will find the IDF resolute not to allow continuing bloodshed in the State of Israel. This is the only way to arrive at peace and coexistence,” according to MK Smotrich.
The head of the Zehut party, former MK Moshe Feiglin, presented his plan, “one state for one people – wholeness and peace”, which includes 3 phases:
- Annulment of the Oslo Accords, eliminating from Judea and Samaria all terror organizations and removal of any sign of sovereignty that is not Israeli.
- Application of full sovereignty over the entire territory of Judea and Samaria.
- Allowing the residents the possibility to choose one of three options: voluntary emigration – economic aid will be given to those who choose to emigrate, accepting the status of “permanent resident” for those who are interested in remaining, or opening a path to receiving citizenship for those who are interested in linking their fate to the fate of the People of Israel.
Feiglin said that “pragmatism is the attempt to be an enlightened tyrant or a polite rapist. The world wants justice and therefore we must return to speaking in terms of justice. This is our land and we must apply full sovereignty between the sea and the Jordan”.