Osamah Khalil, The Electronic Intifada, Aug 13, 2007
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| Buttons with Jordanian King Abdullah’s picture are for sale along with Jordanian, Palestinian and other flags in a shop in Amman, Jordan, July 2007. (Matthew Cassel) |
Last month the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the US and Israel were considering a revival of the “Jordan option.” In spite of the fervent denials emanating from Amman, the report caused a rash of speculation and concern among Palestinians. Many fear that if implemented it would mark the end of hopes for an independent Palestinian state. Resurrecting the Jordan option, in which the West Bank and possibly Gaza would be united in a political and economic confederation with Jordan, demonstrates not just the poverty of ideas in Washington and Israel, but their desperation as well. Perhaps the allies believe that by trapping the Palestinians between the “rock” of Israel’s apartheid wall and the “hard place” of Jordan’s vaunted Arab Legion and dreaded Mukhabarat intelligence service, they will extinguish Palestinian nationalism. However, they and whichever Arab leaders agree to such a policy are sadly mistaken. If history is any guide, the Hashemite regime has more to fear from such a confederation than the Palestinians.
Peace and Justice Post 
August 14, 2007 at 10:15 am |
Seems like a good idea to me. The West Bank was Jordan long before 1967 and there was an opportunity then to establish a Palestinian state, but no-one seemed very interested.
Palestinian nationalism was only fanned by Yasser Arafat in the aftermath of 1967 as a political expediency to put pressure on Israel. Until then it had been nothing more than a pipedream.
There is much to be said for incorporating the West Bank into Jordan, where it can be governed by an existing arab state with the necessary infrastructure to provide its inhabitants with their social, welfare and other needs.
Palestinian nationalism is an unhelpful obstacle and needs to be knocked on the head right now.
Gaza is a bigger problem because of the “Death to Israel! Death to America!” mentality promoted by Hamas. Logically that should return to Egypt from whence it came, but I can’t see the Egyptians being too enthusiastic about having to grasp that particular nettle.
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August 14, 2007 at 2:02 pm |
Dennis Wright,
You are entitled to your opinion, but I am afraid your views seem to be totally lopsided.
Yasser Arafat was a son of Palestinian nationalism, not its father. And the birth of this nationalsim was a consequence of the catastrophe in the shape of the establishement of Israel in 1948. The victors awarded 78% of the land to Israel while Palestinians (Muslims and Christians) were to have the remaining 22%. But this remaining bit was to be devoured by the expansionist Zionists. And the story of occupation and merciless killing of a people by Israel was to continue. It is also called ethnic cleansing and Facism in a crude form. Of course, all this happens because Irael controls
America.
Two state solution? The land has been usurped by Israel. But where
is the land for establishing a viable state?
I stand for a single, democratic and secular state in the whole of classical Palestine in which Jews, Muslims, Christians and the people of other faiths and idelogies could live together.
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