Solving the "Palestinian Problem"

Renowned International Analyst Daniel Pipes has now joined former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton this week in advocating a Jordanian - Egypt solution to the West Bank and Gaza in this article in the Jerusalem Post on January 6, 2009.

In essence the so called "Palestinian problem" is insoluble because the Arab League conditions for its resolution are unattainable by any negotiating process as a result of the following two unyielding non-negotiable demands that Israel is not prepared to accept:

1. The removal of all Jews living in the territory captured by Israel from Jordan and Egypt in the Six Days War in 1967 now numbering 500000 in the West Bank

2. The right of return to Israel being granted to millions of Arabs (and their descendants) made homeless at that time by the Arab-Israel War in 1948

Negotiating processes instituted pursuant to the Oslo Accords 1993, the Bush Road Map 2003 and proposed under the Saudi Peace Initiative 2002 have no answers to resolving these two demands.

The international community has posited many solutions for the last 90 years to the conflict between Jews and Arabs to the territory once called "Palestine" - all of which have been refused by the Arabs resulting in trauma,suffering and misery for both Jews and Arabs.

Division of sovereignty in the West Bank and Gaza determined in trilateral negotiations between Israel,Jordan and Egypt (possibly under United Nations chairmanship)therefore remains the only way to manage - if not finally resolve - the conflict.

Successful conclusion of such negotiations will:

1. Offer the Arab residents of the West Bank and Gaza - presently stateless - Jordanian or Egyptian citizenship

2. End the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank

3. Allow every Arab or Jewish resident to stay in his current home

4. End any Israeli control over Gazan or West Bank Arabs.

5. Resolve sovereignty in the 6% of Palestine that still remains unallocated between Jews and Arabs since the Mandate for Palestine was promulgated by the League of Nations in 1922.

It will not answer the above two Arab demands but it will go a long way to creating a political climate that might be conducive in future to achieving or modifying these demands and allow a peaceful resolution of those demands at a later date.

Both the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have been given enough time to achieve some positive advance towards a peaceful resolution of the conflict. They have both proved themselves unequal to the task. They must now both be replaced as negotiating parties by Jordan and Egypt.

Refusal of Israel,Egypt and Jordan to sit down and attempt to negotiate the division of the West Bank and Gaza on this basis - with the backing of promised financial aid, military and diplomatic assistance from the international community - will herald an end to any peaceful efforts to settle the conflicting Jewish and Arab claims.

The international community must not accept a straight out refusal by Israel,Egypt or Jordan to sit down and negotiate. It should make clear that to do so will result in all further diplomatic and financial assistance to the refusing parties being withheld. It should also make clear that it will in future devote its considerable time and effort in resolving "the Palestinian problem" to resolving other conflicts around the world.

President elect Obama will be searching for a way out of the current impasse caused by the failure of the Roadmap negotiations and the current invasion of Gaza by Israel. No doubt he will be made fully aware of the views of John Bolton and Daniel Pipes. Hopefully he sees the merits of their proposals and urges Israel, Egypt and Jordan to enter into negotiations to achieve the objectives proposed by Bolton and Pipes.