Sunday, January 18, 2009

How I would LIBERATE Palestians without firing a shot


If I were president I would allow the US Marines to accept an invitation from Palestinians to move forces into the sovereign Palestinian territory of the West Bank and Gaza.

In the West Bank I would open up the exclusive (Israeli only) road system, and kick the IDF and its check points out. After this I would expect most of the 400,000 settlers to become so uncomfortable living with the Palestinians (the idea of the roads is never to have to see one of the 5,000,000) that most would move out voluntarily -- in any case most only feel comfortable now in an exclusively Jewish run state even in Israel proper.

The more militant the settlers, the more uncomfortable they should be living in a Palestinian run Palestinian state.

As some or most settlers moved out (how hard was it to move in?) even more would feel compelled to go. Nobody would have to drag them from their former homes. Nobody would have to harm a hair on their heads -- I don't think the most militant Palestinians would under these conditions.

Maybe some settlers could keep their homes if they made a deal -- as long as Palestinians had complete control and absolute control. What might not be too much money to first-world Israelis might seem a godsend to third-world Palestinians. Maybe some of both could work something out.

Meantime, no IDF soldier would dare take a potshot at the American military.

1 comment:

Denis Drew said...

A COMMENT THAT I TRANSPLANTED FROM MATTHEW YGLESIAS'S BLOG:

# Ed Marshall Says:
January 18th, 2009 at 5:24 pm

Drew, there is a picture from the first Israeli invasion of Lebanon that I’ve never forgotten. It’s a Marine sergeant who was there as part of the expeditionary force and there was a row of Merkeva’s trying to blast into a refugee camp in Lebanon. He’s pointing a .45 at the lead Merkeva.

Obviously the .45 wasn’t a danger to them but they packed up and left. This is why the world holds us responsible for Israel’s bullshit.

http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/01/what_we_could_do_for_palestinians.php#comments