I would prefer to stick to local issues, but there’s an international issue that has similarities to Hawaii, that one has been going on for about 3,000 years. I apologize for the mistakes that will inevitably follow, because like most events, there will be many versions to the story depending on whom you are asking.
The people displaced from the land that is now called Israel call themselves Palestinians. I feel sorry for them, everyone uses them and no one really helps. If you look at very old maps, Palestine had vague borders bigger than Israel with multiple ethnicities. The Israel-Palestine chapter of the battle has gone since 1896, the founding of Zionism. Four hundred million Arabs feel threatened by 8 million Jews and promised to drive them into the sea. Thus 10 million Israelis are threatened by Arabs and are very militant.
Five million Palestinians feel threatened by 10 million Israelis who occupy land that was theirs before they sold most of it to Zionists. Some Palestinians left because they sold their land, some stayed and became citizens of Israel. Many left because they were lied to by other Arab regimes which promised to drive the Jews into the sea and take back the land. Compromise is not a strong point of Middle Eastern regimes, or even a word in Arabic. Egypt attacked Israel and lost. Israel thus conquered Sinai and then they gave it back. Israel has taken and held other land by force because it was used as a base to attack them.
Meanwhile, other countries have done everything they can to stir the pot. Iran has supported Hamas, the thuggish (terrorist) government of Gaza and the Palestinian Authority, the more civilized quasi government of the “West Bank,” but the “West Bank” isn’t really a country at all. It’s an area that was vaguely promised to the displaced people. It was also promised as part of Trans Jordan, but the rest of the Jordanians didn’t really want the Palestinians that they considered Bedouin or nomads (gypsies) for neighbors.
Gaza Palestinians are trapped in a narrow piece of land that could be Mediterranean luxury beach resorts. Unfortunately, they are poor, poorly managed and unable to exploit that with current hostilities. Just south of Gaza Egypt has resorts on that same coastline just north of Gaza Israel has resorts on that Mediterranean coast line, the world’s most cherished climate.
Egypt could accept Gaza as part of Egypt and get 10 miles of Mediterranean beach real estate worth billions of dollars, with two million unemployed potential workers. Egypt, however, seems disinterested in anything that relieves the tension.
The program in 1948 said that Palestinians would get land in Jordan and Jews would get the land they bought, called Israel. Israel conquered land in Jordan that was intended to create a home for the Palestinian Arabs displaced from Israel.
To add to the complexity, Jerusalem is sacred to three major religions and must be accessible to all.
Tiny Israel has rescued and accepted Jews from all over the planet, some of which were hard to recognizes as Jews. But the Arab world, which is about 10% of the entire planet, can’t seem to make room for a few million Palestinians. It suits their politics better to use the Palestinians as cannon fodder.
A diplomatic solution looks impossible. Military solutions seldom work as intended. How about business solutions? Israel cedes Gaza to Egypt with funding from the UN and other volunteer nations to develop beach resorts. Israel offers to buy out Palestinian land and pay for families relocate to any other Arabic speaking country. The West Bank becomes part of Israel, but with free public transportation from Jordan to Jerusalem.
The sacred parts of Old Jerusalem become an international city, administered by the UN or an independent state, like the Vatican. Jordan bends a little and lets Israel (or anyone) buy homes for Palestinians. Israeli families offer to adopt Palestinian orphans too young to have been prejudiced.
I know that’s sounds too simple, or too crazy to work but it’s time to try something new.
What has been going on for 80 years isn’t working. Homes cost less than graves.
Ken Obenski is a forensic engineer, now safety and freedom advocate in South Kona. He writes a biweekly column for West Hawaii Today. Send feedback to obenskik@gmail.com.
