There actually are no good solutions. So there's more discussion of "Voluntary Emigration." It's not only Ben-Gvir pushing it. Though it is unlikely to happen, the idea is getting traction.
Here’s political columnist Deroy Murdock writing on Martin Luther King Day in 2009 during the first of now many major military engagements with Gaza:
“In the ultimate goodwill gesture, Israelis withdrew from Gaza in August 2005. Israeli soldiers literally dragged devout Jews kicking and screaming from land they believed the Torah granted them. Authorities evacuated 21 Jewish settlements, dismantled 38 synagogues, and even excavated 47 deceased Jews from Gaza’s Gush Katif cemetery. Unwanted dead or alive, the Israelis vanished from Gaza without a trace. The 8,150 Jews who lived there linger only in the memories of their Palestinian ex-neighbors.
Gaza’s leaders had the opportunity of a millennium. “Free at last, free at last,” a Palestinian Dr. King could have said. “Now, watch us flourish.” A Gazan MLK could have asked JPMorgan Chase to help construct the Middle East’s most modern financial system. He could have called Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic to help build world-class hospitals. Teams from Georgetown, NYU, and Stanford could have helped establish universities whose graduates could outthink anyone from Cairo to Kabul. Estonian experts could have jetted in to explain how free trade and a flat tax can enrich small nations with powerful next-door neighbors. Club Med could have helped Gaza’s Mediterranean beaches lure free-spending tourists. The world would have come running to help elevate this benighted, Denver-sized territory into an oasis from which the mirage of Middle East peace could blossom into reality — if Gazans had only asked.
But no.
Top Gazans had a different development strategy: pound Israel with rockets.”
Sadly, in the short term, culture is virtually immutable. If only prosperity and a better life for their children were more important to them than honor.
The framing of the option to leave Gaza should be a pretty straightforward one that should appeal to Western notions of agency and autonomy: ask the Gazans what they want.
If they wish to leave, they should be allowed to do so as responsible adults. If they wish to remain, then certain conditions might apply: recognition of Israel, rejection of any “right” of return and agreement to live peaceably.
While no one wants terrorists to enter their territory, surely Western values require this identification to be on a case-by-case basis, otherwise you tar an entire group with a broad brush. And everyone in authority from President Biden on down assures us that the vast majority of Gazans reject Hamas and all it stands for. So calling their bluff on that point seems a reasonable thing to do.
In the same light, both Ireland and Scotland have publicly announced that they would take in Gazans, so giving them what they ask for should not be out of the question.
The “blame Israel” excuse is that any such movement out of Gaza would constitute complicity in Israel’s secret program of ethnic cleansing or forcible transfer. But even were this the case, shouldn’t the Gazans be consulted anyway. It’s their life that’s placed at risk.
That seems the only humane approach and, when everyone who can help ameliorate the Gazans’ situation balks at doing so, their hypocrisy will be highlighted … not that anyone actually cares about such hypocrisy or, for that matter, the fate of the Palestinians.
In the end, the Palestinians are double pawns. First, they are the creation of revanchist Arab nations that sought Israel’s eradication but have made a 180 to see Israel as a key to their security against Iran (and to a lesser extent Turkey) and to the modernization of their societies as they face a future in which the export of their natural resources will play a diminishing part. So the Palestinians’ entire raison d’être has gone.
Second, the Palestinians are also pawns in a larger and longstanding fight in the West in which antisemitism plays a not inconsiderable role. In a way, they are collateral damage in an effort to strike at the Jews. Irony never dies.
Thank you for saying what needs to be said. Israel and the entirety of Western Civilization has put up with this hateful death cult for 75+ years. Enough. It's over. The Fakestinians have proven they are not morally capable of creating a productive society. Time for them to fuck off into history's dustbin. They cannot be rewarded with a nation after doing nothing for a century but try to kill Jews. It's ridiculous.
You might also have gone for the song from South Pacific by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan: "You've Got to be Carefully Taught" to describe why there are no good solutions. The West (the East, South and North for that matter) and institutions like UNWRA have done a great job of teaching Palestinians to hate Jews. Until that changes, nothing will. https://rodgersandhammerstein.com/song/south-pacific/youve-got-to-be-carefully-taught/
Western nations need to show some backbone and get back to the virtues which created the framework for a free world. The Islamic terrorists and the Marxist infiltrators need to be shown the door.
Not a bad theoretical idea. But who wants any of the estimated 85% of Gazans who support Hamas? Given the unexpected and frightening outpouring of antisemitism in the US, I don’t want them here, where the government and other institutions are more likely to accommodate them than oppose them.
and in previous piece argued that Israel could do what Egypt is doing: close the borders on the East and North - have security control on the Sea to prevent re-armament, and that's it. Not having any connection. Just the situation Israel was facing in 1948: closed from North, East, South (Eilat came later) - andlet the Gazans manage. They would still be in better position than Israel was - as they would not face attacks from Either Egypt or Israel - unless they started an attack. Many would call it "prison"-like - so was Israel in 1948;. They obviously posess sufficient technical skills to rebuild their above ground infrastructure - and go from there.
Once again, thank you for making this material available, as abhorrent as it is. The central truth appears to be--Israel has no good options when it comes to Gaza. As for Palestinian "emigration by choice", it's a good idea if Israel intends to turn itself into a pariah nation--which won't be due to antisemitism, rather bad behavior.
I am an American Jew living in California, my brother is a settler based in Pisagot, with 48 grandchildren and great grandchildren scattered throughout the west bank at Ofrat,Yitzar,Tikoa,and Hebron,my spelling of these places may be incorrect.
I am naturally greatly concerned about their well-being and about their safety and in the long term stability of the Jewish State.
Moving forward from this point in time I think the only solution to prevent the mutual destruction of the two people who want to live in this part of the world is to now create a 2 State Confederation
Which will be based upon the belief that both peoples Jews and Arabs have a special connection to this area and need to live together in mutual peace and respect and dignity. These two states will be composed of a Jewish 80%/20% Jewish/Arab state which would be in the pre-67 borders, the next state would be the Arab state which would be 80%/20 Arab/Jewish. This nation would have a bill of rights ensuring that both Jews and Arabs will be treated equally in both states of this confederation. One would not be seeking dominance over the other. The combined to state confederation would have a judiciary, army, security, intelligence,police, and civil services that were totally integrated with both Arabs and Jews working together. Jewish settlers would remain in their current settlements within the Arab state of this confederacy. It would be possible for Arabs to acquire properties that their families had on the open market within the Jewish state of this confederacy. The idea of the devine biblical right of Jewsish dominance would have to be disavowed. I think most of the Jewish settlers truly want live in peace with their neighbors and not be engaged in this ongoing state of siege and self-destruction.
I think at this point in time Israel needs to put forth a vision that allows for both peoples to share this precious land and live together in peace and harmony. This has to be the ultimate goal. Obviously the ongoing war against Hamas is it necessary prerequisite this vision.
I think it is imperative at this point in time for Israel to put forth this type of vision. Clearly the world is more focused on the destruction of Gaza that is to currently taking place. Promulgating a vision this harmonious plan could shift the attention away from what the world is currently focusing on at this time
Since we are trading crazy ideas, has anyone suggested that Israel should say it would match the number of Gazans permitted to move to other countries not in the middle East and permit the same number to be absorbed into Israel. This would say that Israel is willing to share in the burden of such people.
Here’s political columnist Deroy Murdock writing on Martin Luther King Day in 2009 during the first of now many major military engagements with Gaza:
“In the ultimate goodwill gesture, Israelis withdrew from Gaza in August 2005. Israeli soldiers literally dragged devout Jews kicking and screaming from land they believed the Torah granted them. Authorities evacuated 21 Jewish settlements, dismantled 38 synagogues, and even excavated 47 deceased Jews from Gaza’s Gush Katif cemetery. Unwanted dead or alive, the Israelis vanished from Gaza without a trace. The 8,150 Jews who lived there linger only in the memories of their Palestinian ex-neighbors.
Gaza’s leaders had the opportunity of a millennium. “Free at last, free at last,” a Palestinian Dr. King could have said. “Now, watch us flourish.” A Gazan MLK could have asked JPMorgan Chase to help construct the Middle East’s most modern financial system. He could have called Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic to help build world-class hospitals. Teams from Georgetown, NYU, and Stanford could have helped establish universities whose graduates could outthink anyone from Cairo to Kabul. Estonian experts could have jetted in to explain how free trade and a flat tax can enrich small nations with powerful next-door neighbors. Club Med could have helped Gaza’s Mediterranean beaches lure free-spending tourists. The world would have come running to help elevate this benighted, Denver-sized territory into an oasis from which the mirage of Middle East peace could blossom into reality — if Gazans had only asked.
But no.
Top Gazans had a different development strategy: pound Israel with rockets.”
Sadly, in the short term, culture is virtually immutable. If only prosperity and a better life for their children were more important to them than honor.
The framing of the option to leave Gaza should be a pretty straightforward one that should appeal to Western notions of agency and autonomy: ask the Gazans what they want.
If they wish to leave, they should be allowed to do so as responsible adults. If they wish to remain, then certain conditions might apply: recognition of Israel, rejection of any “right” of return and agreement to live peaceably.
While no one wants terrorists to enter their territory, surely Western values require this identification to be on a case-by-case basis, otherwise you tar an entire group with a broad brush. And everyone in authority from President Biden on down assures us that the vast majority of Gazans reject Hamas and all it stands for. So calling their bluff on that point seems a reasonable thing to do.
In the same light, both Ireland and Scotland have publicly announced that they would take in Gazans, so giving them what they ask for should not be out of the question.
The “blame Israel” excuse is that any such movement out of Gaza would constitute complicity in Israel’s secret program of ethnic cleansing or forcible transfer. But even were this the case, shouldn’t the Gazans be consulted anyway. It’s their life that’s placed at risk.
That seems the only humane approach and, when everyone who can help ameliorate the Gazans’ situation balks at doing so, their hypocrisy will be highlighted … not that anyone actually cares about such hypocrisy or, for that matter, the fate of the Palestinians.
In the end, the Palestinians are double pawns. First, they are the creation of revanchist Arab nations that sought Israel’s eradication but have made a 180 to see Israel as a key to their security against Iran (and to a lesser extent Turkey) and to the modernization of their societies as they face a future in which the export of their natural resources will play a diminishing part. So the Palestinians’ entire raison d’être has gone.
Second, the Palestinians are also pawns in a larger and longstanding fight in the West in which antisemitism plays a not inconsiderable role. In a way, they are collateral damage in an effort to strike at the Jews. Irony never dies.
Thank you for saying what needs to be said. Israel and the entirety of Western Civilization has put up with this hateful death cult for 75+ years. Enough. It's over. The Fakestinians have proven they are not morally capable of creating a productive society. Time for them to fuck off into history's dustbin. They cannot be rewarded with a nation after doing nothing for a century but try to kill Jews. It's ridiculous.
You might also have gone for the song from South Pacific by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan: "You've Got to be Carefully Taught" to describe why there are no good solutions. The West (the East, South and North for that matter) and institutions like UNWRA have done a great job of teaching Palestinians to hate Jews. Until that changes, nothing will. https://rodgersandhammerstein.com/song/south-pacific/youve-got-to-be-carefully-taught/
https://open.substack.com/pub/christophermessina/p/defund-the-united-nations-not-just?r=erlb4&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Western nations need to show some backbone and get back to the virtues which created the framework for a free world. The Islamic terrorists and the Marxist infiltrators need to be shown the door.
Not a bad theoretical idea. But who wants any of the estimated 85% of Gazans who support Hamas? Given the unexpected and frightening outpouring of antisemitism in the US, I don’t want them here, where the government and other institutions are more likely to accommodate them than oppose them.
Take a look at my Gaza after the War article (indeed, voluntary migration is not a solution) reprinted in many places, here is one link:
https://asiatimes.com/2024/02/gaza-after-the-war-lessons-of-experience/
- some broader issues behind discussed here:
https://www.realclearmarkets.com/2024/02/13/can_nations_remain_the_same_amidst_rising_mobility_1011319.html
and in previous piece argued that Israel could do what Egypt is doing: close the borders on the East and North - have security control on the Sea to prevent re-armament, and that's it. Not having any connection. Just the situation Israel was facing in 1948: closed from North, East, South (Eilat came later) - andlet the Gazans manage. They would still be in better position than Israel was - as they would not face attacks from Either Egypt or Israel - unless they started an attack. Many would call it "prison"-like - so was Israel in 1948;. They obviously posess sufficient technical skills to rebuild their above ground infrastructure - and go from there.
Friday is March 1, not February 30😐
Once again, thank you for making this material available, as abhorrent as it is. The central truth appears to be--Israel has no good options when it comes to Gaza. As for Palestinian "emigration by choice", it's a good idea if Israel intends to turn itself into a pariah nation--which won't be due to antisemitism, rather bad behavior.
I am an American Jew living in California, my brother is a settler based in Pisagot, with 48 grandchildren and great grandchildren scattered throughout the west bank at Ofrat,Yitzar,Tikoa,and Hebron,my spelling of these places may be incorrect.
I am naturally greatly concerned about their well-being and about their safety and in the long term stability of the Jewish State.
Moving forward from this point in time I think the only solution to prevent the mutual destruction of the two people who want to live in this part of the world is to now create a 2 State Confederation
Which will be based upon the belief that both peoples Jews and Arabs have a special connection to this area and need to live together in mutual peace and respect and dignity. These two states will be composed of a Jewish 80%/20% Jewish/Arab state which would be in the pre-67 borders, the next state would be the Arab state which would be 80%/20 Arab/Jewish. This nation would have a bill of rights ensuring that both Jews and Arabs will be treated equally in both states of this confederation. One would not be seeking dominance over the other. The combined to state confederation would have a judiciary, army, security, intelligence,police, and civil services that were totally integrated with both Arabs and Jews working together. Jewish settlers would remain in their current settlements within the Arab state of this confederacy. It would be possible for Arabs to acquire properties that their families had on the open market within the Jewish state of this confederacy. The idea of the devine biblical right of Jewsish dominance would have to be disavowed. I think most of the Jewish settlers truly want live in peace with their neighbors and not be engaged in this ongoing state of siege and self-destruction.
I think at this point in time Israel needs to put forth a vision that allows for both peoples to share this precious land and live together in peace and harmony. This has to be the ultimate goal. Obviously the ongoing war against Hamas is it necessary prerequisite this vision.
I think it is imperative at this point in time for Israel to put forth this type of vision. Clearly the world is more focused on the destruction of Gaza that is to currently taking place. Promulgating a vision this harmonious plan could shift the attention away from what the world is currently focusing on at this time
"Transferral" and settlement in another country MUST come with a revocation of all rights to UNWRA assistance, and refugee status
Since we are trading crazy ideas, has anyone suggested that Israel should say it would match the number of Gazans permitted to move to other countries not in the middle East and permit the same number to be absorbed into Israel. This would say that Israel is willing to share in the burden of such people.
Thank you for these important viewpoints, this is exactly what people outside Israel need to know! I will share widely!