by hava1 » Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:44 am
I haven't followed this huge thread, except for the first few pages, where I got the gist of the eternal question of "the conflict" and who is more indigenous. I once wrote an academic paper (In American University) for my masters degree, about the conflict from the perspective of "indigenousness" and what is the "time frame" to start the count. Do you go back a century, two ? five ? two millenia ? three millenia ? It was a nice paper, showed how the theory gets to a dead end when applied to this region, with the bible and all. My instructor was the infamous Prof. Amos Perlmutter, a Bushmen and Israeli ex spymaster. Maybe I should dig it up. Of course, our opinions differed, but the funny thing was, as usual with this issue, that he was ofcourse for the displacement of all Arabs from Israel, while he opted for American citizenship and left Israel. Myself, a fifth generation Jew in Israel, opted for the "right of return" of palestinians, while living HERE and Israel. I think that's the paradox, and you can see some of it, in the Palestinian or "hard core" anti Israeli arab camp. Those who actually reside here are less fanatic than the instigators outside.
FB raised a provocative idea to propse willing immigration of Pales to somewhere, for money and an alternative "national homeland". This has been proposed before with the Jews as targets of the offer many times. I think the two mechanisms are in effect happening already to some extent. individual Jewish immigration is encouraged by the USA in many forms recently, and in the last few years to Europe (I believe this was acheived also under US pressure, first on Poland and later the rest joined with increased passportization of european jews, based on pre holocaust ancestry). Personally, I hold that Jews have a right to live everywhere, with their full identity. I also hold that the return of Judaism (!) to the region (Palestine-israel what not, Zion) is great, culturally, its a blessed phenomenon to all religions and nationalities, BUT it does not need to be accompanied by political sovereignty at all. Certainly the presence of a Jewish army is not a great contribution to the region.
Palestinians who wish to immigrate for money can probably get assistance from JEwish transferist associations who claim to offer help of that sort (by buying lands etc. and giving subsidies...).
I don't have an opinion about the suggestion specifically except I dont think the Palesintians even consider that. their claim is to the specific land, partly for the same reason Jews want it - historical, and religious reasons. Perhaps its a "Christian doomsday" conspiracy to get both Jews and Moslem out of the "holy land" before the rapture. I know this is not FB's point of departure (a christian religious interest), but I am sure christians would love to have a tera nulus here controlled by Christian mythos spinners
Personally, if there is any paid for immigration plan, put me in, the list.
