why so glum

Submitted by john w. mcginley (United States), May 16, 2006 at 16:04

Professor Pipes: I do not share your pessimism concerning the Olmert plan. It is a realistic plan for settling Israel's final borders. {{Even "final" is a relative term. It is very possible that before this century is finished that Palestinians will abandon the West Bank in favor of living in a Palestinian state east of the Jordan.}} It also has the happy consequence of ridding Isreal of the largest block of Arabs presently living in the state of Israel. These are the Arabs presently living in Arab East Jerusalem. It basically resolves the "demographic time bomb" which presently faces Israel of having Arab Israeli citizens becoming almost as numerous as Jewish Israeli citizens.

Nor do I see any real problems accruing to the United States by virtue of the plan. On the contrary, the actual working out of this plan is likely to bring a degree of stability to the West Bank not seen since the very late sixties. The Hashemites? Sooner or later they will have to go. It is the world's most artificial regime. Yes, when they fall there will be some disruption of security in Jordan which might require action by the United States or by Israel. But the eventual toppling of the Hasemites is a foregone conclusion and will happen with or without the Olmert plan. The true homeland of the Palestinian people is Jordan and its true capital is Amon.

Lest you suspect that I have taken leave of my senses in order to play Pollyanna, I will mention the following. I did not see any provision for maintaining a safe, secure, and thriving Jewish community WITHIN the present city-limits of Khevron. Olmert is a pragmatist and that is, in general, good. But to abandon the right of there being a safe, secure, and thriving Jewish community -- with safe and secure ingrees and egress to and from Israel itself -- within the present city limits of Khevron is to start the destruction of the Jewish soul. This must not happen. Paradoxically, there is nothing more pragmatic than to insure a safe, secure, and thriving Jewish community within the present city limits of Hevron.

John W. McGinley

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