A New Isreal

To whom it may concern,

Most of the frustration that the Muslim world has with the West is its unyielding support of Israel. While most extremists look upon the West as vile, immoral infidels, the creation of Israel after World War II is the real flashpoint. The creation of Israel, for all intensive purposes, was a massive land grab. Both Israel and Palestine have clear historical rights to the area. While the two-state solution focuses on creating an independent Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza, this strategy has many flaws. The greatest of which is the creation of one country with two noncontiguous territories separated by Israel. What is lacking in Palestine is political clout in Israel to effect real change to make economic, political, and civil progress. Palestinians rely on the good will of Israeli politicians or pressure from other countries in order to advance its goals. It is not an official country, and it has no real autonomy. In order to both quell violence and create solidarity in the Palestinian community, a different approach should be considered. The West Bank should be annexed by Israel, and Gaza should become the new Palestinian state. By incorporating the West Bank into Israel, a huge Palestinian voting bloc would be created by making these ethnic Palestinians Israeli citizens. This new voting bloc would give the Palestinians a real voice in Israeli decision-making. This interaction on an equal setting would allow for an expansion of understanding and tolerance. It will also allow for the development of the West Bank, the preservation of antiquities, and the stabilization of the entire region. On the other hand, Gaza would become an important coastal community that would finally have the room to develop independent of Israeli interference. Palestinians would rejoice in their victory and independence, and focus on the creation of a stable, prosperous state. Is there anything like this being considered in the Middle East peace process?

GUNNAR HAND, AICP