Here's my answer:
Solve the dispute between the Israelis and the Palestinians. That's how you bring an end to the threat of nuclear war between Israel and the Muslim nations. I know, I know...generations of negotiators have tried and tried to resolve that conflict, and all have failed. Just ask Bill Clinton. But you know what? There is one approach that our leaders have not yet tried:
Extreme Generosity.
Instead of endlessly hoping that Being Tough will eventually persuade the Palestinians to give up their dream of one day getting their land back from the foreign invaders, we could use an approach that the United States once followed in the 19th Century when our leaders decided to force the Mexicans to give us their land at gunpoint. You can offer the victims of your exploitation money in compensation for their loss.
There is no doubt in my mind that the Palestinians would happily give up the fight and embrace Israel's existence if they were (1) given an extremely generous cash settlement for their loss of land, and if (2) the United States were to officially recognize that the Palestinians had been victims of a great injustice for all of these years. Today I just want to focus on #1.
How generous an offer could we put together? Well, how about if we start by giving back to the Palestinians all of the land that was taken from them during the 1967 war? Remember, the goal is to come up with as generous an offer as you can think of. The Israelis need to ask themselves: if it would enable us to enjoy an enduring peace with our Arab neighbors wouldn't it be worth it to simply accept borders that were accepted by most Israelis prior to 1967? Some land-swapping could be negotiated, but only if the swap offers were perceived to be generous by the Palestinians.
Jerusalem would probably have to be established as an International City (what's wrong with that?) that is supported by the city's inhabitants and the international community. If the Israelis ended up with an equal voice in the decisions that are made in Jerusalem, then what would they have to complain about? Remember, we're trying to put together as attractive a package as we can in order to win the good will of the Palestinian people.
Seriously, if it would bring about an enduring peace within the region, wouldn't it be worth it to take all of the money that both the Israelis and the American people have been spending on the protection of Israel in recent years (and that would include the cost of the Iraq War and all of our Homeland Security spending since Nine Eleven) and simply give it to the Palestinian people instead as part of a comprehensive settlement?
Extreme Generosity. Offer the Palestinians a settlement so generous, they'd all feel like they had won the lottery. Perhaps $30,000 per Palestinian family would be generous enough to win their good will if a massive amount was also spent on the construction of job-creating businesses and on creating a modern infrastructure. That's how you can end the animosity, so long as commitments are made by the Israelis to continuously help the Palestinians to become a prosperous people.
Contrast this approach with the approach that successive Israeli governments have pursued in peace talks that the United States has sponsored over the decades. In brief, their negotiating posture has been essentially this: We've got your land. We're not going to give it back. Resistance is futile. You can't do anything about it so you might as well give up the fight and simply accept any deal that we feel like offering you. The Palestinians feel as though they are being asked to sign a deal with a gun at their heads that promises only to make them feel humiliated. Such humiliation does not seem to be an option for them.
The Israeli people have to decide whether they want to continue to fight forever, perhaps even with nuclear weapons some day, or come to the peace table with an earnest desire to live in true peace with their Arab neighbors. I'm quite sure that most of the Western world would be willing to help contribute to an Extreme Generosity Peace Settlement, if for no other reason than to see if enlightened expressions of good will might not have a chance to bring an end to the suffering.
In my next blog entry, I'll explain why I think it would be a good idea for the U.S. to `officially recognize that the Palestinians had been victims of a great injustice for all of these years.'
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