New Threat to Arafat - Proletariat rising?

[Ned]

CyberGnu, How do you think the Palestinians would react if they were offered the possibility of becoming Israeli citizens?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Ned
CyberGnu, How do you think the Palestinians would react if they were offered the possibility of becoming Israeli citizens?

The Israelis would never offer that for the same reason that they consider a full ROR for Palestinian refugees to be out of the question.

[Ned]

Ah, but DinoDoc, are you certain? The problem with ROR is that the PALs want the former residents and landowners to be able to return to Israel proper. What I envision is an offer to the Pals now resident in Palestine the chance to become Israeli citizens under certain conditions. They would have stay put on the West Bank or Gaza - at least for an interim period - but would have a right to go anywhere in Israel for work or vacation. They would be exempt from PA-imposed taxes, but would instead have to pay Israeli taxes, etc. They would also have to serve in the IDF. I suspect that Israel could also impose a language requirement.

The reason I suggest this, is that this is the way the Romans gradually made conquered peoples into good citizens of the empire.

You might say that Israel would never do this because they may lose a majority Jewish population which could lead to an end of the right of Jewish peoples to emigrate to Israel. Perhaps. But if Isreal had a real constitution that could not be amended without a supra-majority vote of the people, they could put into that constitution guarantees of Jewish immigration into Israel, the right of free exercise of religion, etc.

Even though it would be hard for many Israeli's to take this risk, the long term benefits of a completely united "Palestine" are obvious.

But I have no idea how the Palestinians would react to such a concept.

[KrazyHorse]

If they were citizens then they could vote. The Jewish population of Israel isn't willing to accept this.

[CyberGnu]

Fez,

Ned, I agree with Dino. I still think a combination of economic incentives (sponsored by Israel, EU and US) plus a land partition would be the best solution. Hand over some of Israel that is within the green line to the returning palestinians, and you would take of the ROR plus have the chance of making the new palestinian state more viable. (Not to mention weakening the power of Arafat...)