http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_4692.shtmlImagine a day when Tel Aviv’s beaches are flooded with picnicking Indonesians, Syrians and Algerians, while Israelis flock to Dubai’s shopping festivals and Lebanon’s ski slopes. Yes, I know, this does require a huge stretch of the imagination given the decades of hostility between Israel and swathes of the Muslim world since the Jewish state was formed in 1948. But before you alert the little men in white coats to cart me away, this is exactly what Jordan’s King Abdallah and US President Barack Obama have in mind, according to London’s Times newspaper.
It seems that King Abdallah and President Obama have together concocted a comprehensive peace plan that would include not only the 22 members of the Arab League but also every predominantly Muslim nation. This wildly ambitious project kicked off by a summer peace conference is likely to be unveiled when Obama addresses Muslims during his June 4 visit to Cairo. If this sounds too much like the fantasy of two dreamers, remember that dreams do sometimes come true as America’s first black president can attest.
“What we are talking about is not Israelis and Palestinians sitting at the table, but Israelis sitting with Palestinians, Israelis sitting with Syrians, Israelis sitting with Lebanese,” said the king. “We are offering a third of the world to meet them with open arms. The future is not the Jordan River, or the Golan Heights, or the Sinai, the future is Morocco in the Atlantic and Indonesia in the Pacific. That is the prize.”
And what a prize this is, especially for Israel which would no longer be surrounded by real and perceived enemies, while the Palestinians would finally be enabled to live in freedom and security within the boundaries of their own state. The entire region would also receive a major economic boost, as well as improved security and greater geopolitical clout. It’s a win-win situation for just about everybody involved.
But before the celebrations begin, let’s come back down to earth for a moment. Until now, Israel’s new government, led by the nationalistic Benjamin Netanyahu, has shown no interest in seriously pursuing any peace process. On the contrary, Prime Minister Netanyahu has displayed his disdain for a two-state solution on numerous occasions, while his hawkish and decidedly weird foreign minister, Avigdor Liebermann, has actually declared the prevailing flimsy peace process dead.
-snip-
It goes without saying that from now on I will unashamedly champion the 57-state solution but with some reservation. Of course, as always, the devil is in the details. Roll on June 4 when, hopefully, we’ll know a lot more.
------------------------------------
57 state solution is the best I've ever heard - count me in
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
