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Likud MK: Annex West Bank, consider citizenship for Palestinians
Attila Somfalvi
Published: 20.12.09, 21:26
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1. Annex, yes
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (12.20.09)
Citizenship, no. The Palestinians -- with their higher birth rates -- will become the dominant population, and Israel will no longer be a Jewish state. The Palestinians were granted Jordanian citizenship in 1950. Send them there.
2. DONT HEAR THIS STUPIDTY EVEN FROM MEERETZ
zionist forever   (12.20.09)
This is what the majority of palestinians want a nice single state for everybody where everybody is equal. Lets not forget of course that combined with the existing arab population the arab population would at least equall & possibly even outnumber the jews. Things like the law of return could no longer be considered legal in a single state so we can kiss goodbye to alliyah. A solution is needed yes but to say for the sake of 22% of British mandate Palestine we should give up everything is not only stupidity its criminal. Whats the point of a state wanting jewish land if the result will be the end of a jewish state? What sort of entity has Likud turned into if its MKS are now making proposals that even the far left would never have the courage to say?
3. "Gradual citizenship based on loyality tests"?
Ehud ,   TA   (12.20.09)
That happens when a somebody who did nothing in her life but a few years of bad journalism (you can't even call it that), hasn't really learned something, never conducted a business, never worked for years at something productive and serious, and hasn't been anywhere outside her narrow circle gets elected: This is such outlandish dellusional rubbish - you can't even call it fascist!
4. Let Jordan grant citizenship to Arab palestinists!
Ariel Ben Yochanan ,   Kfar Tapuah, Efraim,   (12.20.09)
5. West Bank, consider citizenship for Palestinians
Galut ,   selah   (12.20.09)
Amen
6. i am saying that for years! go ahead
uli ,   merkas   (12.20.09)
7. why not?
mike ,   israel (formerly usa   (12.20.09)
it can't be any worse of an idea than the 2-state debacle that israel can't do anything about. israel wants the land, so take it and deal with different some problems for a change. heck, anything is better than the disaster we have now.
8. loyalty tests? looks like someone was drinking
ronen   (12.20.09)
9. Schneller Right
Ussishkin ,   Tel Aviv Israel   (12.20.09)
In a rare moment of lucidity Schneller has said it like it is and Hotovely is blinkered enough in her insistence on keeping all the W Bank that she'\s ready to destroy the state as a consequence by suggesting what is in effect a 1 man 1 vote scenario and the end of Israel with her proposal. Its the height of fear and hysteria. She should not be an MK
10. Probably inevitable (end)
Robert ,   USA   (12.20.09)
11. correct - it is liberated land
eddie ,   london UK   (12.20.09)
The self definition of the Kingdom of Israel should not be based on the ex rule of Ottomans, British or the UN. The British do not ge their legitimacy because the UN gave it to them, nor do the Americans. The land belongs to the People of the Israelite nation. Palestinian arabs are nto natives but occupiers, They can vote in Jordan if they wish (once Jordan has a democracy). But they will enjoy human rights and local civic autonomy, as long as they do not conspire against the Kingdom of Israel.
12. #1 Hey Yank
Addle ,   Toronto   (12.21.09)
Forceful population transfers are against international law. You know it best as "ethnic cleansing". Oh, and settling your own citizens in occupied territory violates the Geneva convention. Israel is in a deadlock.
13. They can have Jordanian citizenship
Kyle ,   Southpark, CO, USA   (12.21.09)
Jordan is the only Arab country to give citizenship to the "Palestinians." Because the fake "kingdom" of Jordan is occupying the Palestinian state.
14. Addle
Israel Israeli ,   Tel Aviv   (12.21.09)
No one talks about forceful transfer. First, put the reparations the Arab world owes the Jews for the violent ethnic cleansing they performed when they destroyed the thousands-year old Jewish communities of the Middle-East in a fund. Second, in that fund put all the money the US, Europe and the UN give the Arabs to buy weapons and live in "refugee camps" every year. Third, add the money Israel gives the Arabs in health care and social security. That will be more than enough money to repatriate all the Muslim Arabs to their fathers' and grandfathers' homelands in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt. The Christians and the few Muslim Arabs who really can trace their father's roots to Israel can choose to take money and live in an Arab country or stay in the Jewish homeland. Such solutions are internationally accepted and worked well in Turkey/Greece, CzechRepublic/Germany and many others.
15. #12 Hey Canuck
Kyle ,   Southpark, CO, USA   (12.21.09)
Quit flapping your split head and ask why none of the Arab states where Palestinian "refugees" settled have given them citizenship. In fact Lebanon and Syria have laws that deny citizenship to descendants of "Palestinians" even if they were born on Lebanese or Syrian soil. This is to keep them "refugees" in perpetuity so that they can one day conquer and overwhelm Israel and then throw out the Jews. Let's give them a state in the Yukon, eh?
16. THIS TZIPI is a smart cookie
Riba ,   Israel   (12.21.09)
and she has more guts and brains than Bibi
17. Create israetine ala USA # 1 you are wrong
tea man ,   marjayoun   (12.21.09)
this the only way out or israel as is will be gone in 10 years period push them out to jordan is a harbinger for second Holocaust the same way happen to temple one and two
18. hotovely
alexi   (12.21.09)
Tzipi has one good attribute. She is attractive. Now citizenship for arabs in judea and samaria even some of them is a bad idea. They don't want it and we don't really want it unless we convert them to jews as there is some history supporting this line of thinking. No, arabs can be citizens of jordan but with residency on the west bank, pay taxes to israel and get services but have national representation in amman. In future, israelis should not blindly follow bad policies whether its turgeman in anakara, who should have quit rather than support olmert if surrendering the golan or whether its beaurocrats under barak who should have walked away from camp david as the whole process was flawed.
19. Middle East Middle Ages
dave ,   Europe   (12.21.09)
I'm following this concours for quite a while and I'm amazed everytime again by how much Israel resembles its neighbouring religious republics. Jewish state?! State of mind more like. People please come out of the dark. Leave the middle ages behind and see that as long as you do not educate your children to love thy neighbour and consider them as equal human beings you will live in misery. Not only daily practical misery but intellectual poverty. Every child you send to the army is a lost case. What is the use of a 100% jewish state based on apartheid? The only use as i see it now is that all jews pull at the same side of the rope. I hope one day to see the united states of the sons of abraham where you can take a highspeed train from damascus to jerusalem to amman because its one of the worlds best thriving regions but probably im overestimating you zionist and islamo fundamentalist lot because you have the same agenda. blind hate. poor souls. peace out. shalom aleichem.
20. Finally a real path to peace
Dan ,   Titusville, FL   (12.21.09)
The West Bank is lost to the Palestinians after having attacked Israel 5 times and lost. They have walked away from every opportunity to give them a state. The West Bank MUST become sovereign Israeli land and Jerusalem our UNDIVIDED Capitol. Palestinians should NOT be grated citizenship unless and until they convert to Judaism.
21. #15 Still got that age ol' mentality running in your head?
Addle ,   Toronto   (12.21.09)
They wont take over Israel, they just want Israel out of the occupied territories as outlined in the Arab Peace Plan. Which reminds me, why hasn't Israel answered to that one yet? Peace is on the other side of the river, it's Israel not willing to cross the bridge to get there. As for #14, reparations for both Jews and Palestinian can be done when an appropriate agreement is made.
22. For those who fear a Palestinian takeover in this scenario
David G   (12.21.09)
If Israel is smart about this it can have its cake and eat it too, namely keep the West Bank and its Jewish/democratic nature. One way to do this is by replacing the Knesset with a Bicameral legislature. The current 120MK’s can make up the lower house and be voted in as they are now, Israel then can create a upper house who will elect representatives based on the 6 administrative districts of Israel and two more for Judea and Samaria and you can create a powerful and legitimate check against any fear of Palestinian dominance. Another way is to grant a status similar to East Jerusalem Arabs, where they will have the option of citizenship, but it will be conditional to some kind of national service requirement. If people would think outside the box for a second they would see there are other alternatives.
23. Addled Brain
jb ,   canada   (12.21.09)
Your ignorance is truly abysmal! The Palis have already received billions and were is it? In some corrupt government leaders Swiss account or paying for Arafat's wife's lifestyle in Paris. The Jews who had to flee Arab lands were they had lived hundreds of years before the violent and deadly conquests and forced conversions of Islam, have received nothing! The Arab peace Plan (so-called) is a recipe for disaster. Israel is not going to cross any bridge to self-destruction. And your pathetic arguments so just how little you know. Isn't there a pro fascist or jihadist web site you would rather contribute to?
24. settlements are NOT against geneva convention
giraffe ,   Boston   (12.21.09)
Geneva convention prohibits only "forceful" population transfer (think Jews from all of Europe into camps in Poland) - if the government PERMITS its own citizens to purchase land and start a settlement - it is perfectly legal under international law. People who oppose settlements on international law grounds want to keep the West Bank "Judenrei" and are racists.
25. #9, actually it made a certain amount of sense
Danny   (12.21.09)
We have this scare that if we don't somehow get rid of the Palestinians in the West bank that we'll be overrun by Arabs - weird it is the people who DON'T say this that are the "racists". Her idea seems at least as reasonable as any other and unlike more land concessions it has the attractive feature of not having killed hundreds of Israelis and subjected tens of thousands to rockets.
26. #21 they answered it in 2002 and 2007
Danny   (12.21.09)
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83551109.html http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-83307439.html Of course as soon as Israel said lets negotiate it was told it was an all or nothing offer.
27. YES! ANNEX, REMOVE THE HEX. Judea- JEW-dea
Jae ,   Lynn US   (12.21.09)
28. To Dave, #19
Howard ,   US   (12.21.09)
Dave, You claim to have been studying this conflict for a long time and yet you spout the most ignorant statements. You have yet to figure out what the "Jewish state" means? I know that you'll find this shocking given the appalling state of the EU media, but Israel is a vibrant democracy, not a theocracy. Tell me, do you have similar objections to the Vatican? What about Poland, a Catholic state? What about virtually every Muslim state? I'm smelling lots of hypocrisy on your part, Dave. Tell me, Dave from Europe, do you know what the word apartheid actually means? Or were you simply hoping to use it for shock value and that no one would point your idiocy out to you? Time for a few more years of study on your part, Dave.
29. Better Idea Than What's Being Done Now
Christy ,   Boston, US   (12.21.09)
Use the proposal as a starting point. Conferring citizenship on the Pales. in the area could be done gradually. What's being done now is crazy and will harm Israel in the long run.
30. SaraH # 1 shame on you for supporting Transfer
Yossi Normal jew   (12.21.09)
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