Opinion
Jordan a priceless asset
Eitan Haber
Published: 03.11.11, 00:18
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1. Nonsense Jordan is Palestine
joe tango ,   usa   (11.03.11)
Protecting Jordan has caused more harm to israel as a Jewish state than any other action. It has allowed israel to be delegitamized international law and history to be written and imcreased pressure to go back to 67 borders and give up her legal and historical and religous borders.
2. "God is Dead...must we ourselves not become gods"
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (11.03.11)
"So sing only a song for peace Do not whisper a prayer Better sing a song for peace, With a great shout."
3. Painful Dilemmas ! Opportunity Cost ?
Abdel Karim Salim ,   Jerusalem   (11.03.11)
Your article reflects much concern and worry for Jordan and Israel too, as much as it shows that you seem to see the perceived distant threat ( Iran ) but you seem to overlook,if not even be blind to, the actual, yet near,threat ( Palestinians ) ! Arabs have, for decades already , known Jordan as a buffer zone between Israel and the potentially-menacing Arab nationalism as well as the very first line of defence on the eastern Israeli front ! You fail to see that the deep concern you allocate to the Hashemite monarchy in Jordan simply means that you do not address the Palestinian problem and you do not bother to suggest a long-lasting solution for the Palestinians some of whom are intermittently harassing Israel with rocket attacks that have,inconceivably,turned Ashqelon,Ashdod,and Be'er Sheva into the " Kiryat Shmona of the south" ! Since the early 50' Arabs have been constantly saying that the Palestinian problem is the crux of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and if it is not solved Israel could never live in peace .Well, you do not seem to take this seriously ... !
4. "Should Jordan...?" Jordan already covers 77% of...
Jehudah Ben-Israel ,   Qatzrin, Israel   (11.03.11)
..."Palestine", as the territory was named in the beginning of the 20th century. And, 70% of Jordan's citizens are Muslim-Arabs who consider themselves "Palestinians". Indeed, the geographic area called "Palestine" - it was never a state or a country, mind you!! - has consisted of today's Jordan-Israel-WestBank-Gaza; the three components together amount to 23% of the region of "Palestine". The Balfour Declaration, 1917, assigned "Palestine" to be the "national home for the Jewish people". And, the San Remo Conference, 1920, accepted this observation and enshrined it in that which is dubbed 'international law'. The British, contrary to the San Remo Conference, being the rulers of the region at the time, handed over these 77% of "Palestine" to the Muslim-Arabs, 1921. The League of Nations, nevertheless, assigned the rest of the territory, from the River to the Sea, to the Jewish people by reiterating the San Remo Conference decisions. And the UN, in 1945, accepted the League of Nations decisions and incorporated them into the newly constructed organization, not to be tampered. Thus, legally, the "national home for the Jewish people" is the region that presently includes Israel-WestBank-Gaza, while the rest, 77% of the territory, is already in Muslim-Arab hands.
5. It will happen regardless
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (11.03.11)
There is nothing we can do for Arab dictatorships. They are going to fall and if we have a hand in supporting any of them they will fall faster and harder. No we need to let them splitter into little pieces and they won't be a real threat.
6. Jordan is already Palestine.
Vlad   (11.03.11)
Some 70% of its population is of Palestinian origin. What would be the real problem in raising it? And before any of you lefties and Arabs accuse me of advocating ethnic cleansing, some 70% of the West Bank's residents would leave if they could.
7. And if a Palestinian state is created west of the Jordan ...
Raymond in DC ,   Washington, USA   (11.03.11)
... Iran will be even closer! Following Haber's logic, if "Jordan is Palestine" means Iran's forces will be "advancing to our doorstep", a Pal state west of the Jordan means those forces are in your living room.
8. Jordan
Mark ,   USA   (11.03.11)
While the author correctly states the positives of a peace treaty with Jordan, the fact is that without a Palestinian state, there will always be pressure for Israel to give up more and more land, which will cause Israel to commit national suicide. Jordan is majority Palestinian. With Jordan as the Palestine state, the national aspirations of the Palestinians will be settled there. Any Palestinian who wishes to live in their national homeland can move there.
9. I sincerely hope that....
Malone ,   Hfx   (11.03.11)
....Iran will be soon be irrelevant.
10. Dear Mr. Habor
Ahron ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (11.03.11)
Sir, I don't quite understand your logic. You want to use Jordan as a buffer, but here's the problem. The "Pals" are ALREADY here, on your doorstep, in your room, hiding and waiting. They aren't outside or even outside the city. Now it's too late, that door was closed back in '67. So, I don't understand why we should be supporting an unpopular king, who is a part of a minority that will soon be overthrown. I say the same thing the Americans are saying in their neck of the woods, "Fortify your borders". It's very apparent that both sides are mobilizing for war. Iran is just a puppet state fronting for China/Russia. For some reason, the west seems to think that we're NOT in some sort of Cold War/Crusade mode, when that clearly seems to be the case.
11. You ignore one thing Mr HArber
Jayjay ,   Israel   (11.03.11)
If Jordan became Palestine, what excuse would they use for attacking Israel? They wouldnt have any excuse at all!
12. u are 100 right i agree with u very good article and simple
joe ,   kfar saba israel   (11.03.11)
13. ShouldJordan become Palestine, the conflict would be over
Ari ,   Jerusalem   (11.03.11)
They would have their state, and we would have our state. We would make it clear that their state would no longer exist if Iran comes in. It would become part of our state.
14. and what about lebanon and syria
brian ,   berkeley, ca   (11.03.11)
already hostile borders that do business with iran?
15. put all the palestinians in Gaza and call it Palestine,
devorah ,   northern Israel   (11.03.11)
and do as this article says...nice up to Jordan. Samaria and Judea, and eastern Jerusalem, need some serious clean up! After we clean house, then we can clean up the internal arab Israeli problems (not the ones who are pro Israel) and then turn our attention outside our borders.
16. each way
Matt   (11.03.11)
King Hussein was smart, made sure his son had peace with Israel. Jordan will be on of the few places standing after this mess.
17. haber
michaelpielet ,   boca raton, Israel   (11.03.11)
The seven little girls murdered by a Jordanian soldier after the peace treaty with Jordan, haber forgot about them. Yeah, king Hussein was smart he dumped the arabs living in judea and samaria on Israel. Do not worry about iran. Iran is on the Lebanon border, the Syrian border, Gaza and Judea and Samaria. If Iran decides to attack through jordan should we expect the Jordanians to stop them? I do not thing so. Haber should start writing science fiction he would be good at it.
18. Wise article
Logic ,   Israel   (11.03.11)
I agree 100% with Mr. Haber. The "Jordan is Palestine" crowd neglects to think about the probable consequences, including an irredentist and revolutionary Islamist "Greater Palestine" movement wanting new borders from Anbar province to the Mediterranean sea. It is much wiser for the West to support the monarchy and push back against the revolutionary movements.
19. Jordan="Palestine" is COMPROMISE, viz. part of Eretz Yisrael
Jerry ,   The Netherlands   (11.03.11)
20. A career spent.....
Gideon Reader   (11.03.11)
...burnishing the works and errors of the late PM and noted expert on spinning propellers, Y.Rabin, Haber now peeps from under the dark damp place he hangs out in and tells everyone what they know is an huge load of scat. Jordan IS Palestine, Adon haber. History like facts, and the shoting of Jews on Rachov Frishman beach, is a stubborn thing. Your bleat that the Good little Kingeroo across the river is protectinig Israel from and Persians is sheep hocky, and what's worse, you either dont know that, or are dont care. You words value? Less than that of any spokesmodel from the PA.
21. Nonsense. The enemy is already on your doorstep!
Jake ,   USA   (11.03.11)
Pushing them into Jordan would be better than having them run wild in the West Bank. This article is sheer idiocy!
22. Actually Jordan's land rightfully belongs to Israel.
Chaim ,   Israel   (11.03.11)
Jordan covers 78% of the original Jewish Homeland Mandate. Jordan is only an asset to Israel in the sense that Jordan's land rightfully belongs to Israel.
23. Haber likes a country like Jordan that is Jew free.
Dan Kelso   (11.03.11)
Atleast now we see how radical Haber is. He's praising countries that have laws barring Jews from living there.
24. To #22 Chaim I was thinking the same thing
John ,   Alaska   (11.03.11)
But for a different reason. Isn't the land on the east side of Jordan the land given to Reuven, Gad and the half tribe of Menasche? If it was given to the children of Israel then, then, shouldn't it be yours today?
25. Mr Haber raises an important caution & observation
Rafi ,   US   (11.03.11)
26. JORDAN IS AN OWN SOVEREIGN STATE LIKE LEBANON, SYRIA, EGYPT
SJOERD RUURD VAN DER ,   MULTIVERSE   (11.04.11)
AND SO ON.
27. Jordan is Palestine
USA   (11.04.11)
You talking nonsense man. However Israel should maintain good relations with Jordan and create a three state solution between Egypt Israel and Jordan.
28. A very good point
solomon ,   bklyn   (11.04.11)
Quoting Dovid Katz in another article, “The issue is a simple one. In the world of realpolitik, individuals and countries occasionally have to sacrifice important principles in order to secure current achievements.” In that vein, Ben Gurion accepted the parcel of land offered the Jews by the Partition, even though it was not what the Jews should have received. He was willing to work within the current (at that time) context. That would appear to be the case in this instance. Israel should consider sacrificing the holy concept of Jordan is Palestine in exchange for not having a large, formidable Palestinian state on it’s borders; borders which Israel would not be able to control.
29. #13 ari
solomon ,   bklyn   (11.04.11)
Should Jordan become Palestine, the conflict would get worse. They would ignore any warnings from Israel because recently warnings have been nothing but words. And Israel would not control it's borders nor prevent Hamas et al from entering 'Jordan' and taking over.
30. Hashemite monarchy is a colonialist creation
Ilan   (11.04.11)
No way to reverse it's fate most likely. It will be come Palestinian because the people of Jordan are Palestinian and King Abdullah the 2/3 will retire with the money he has "saved" in Switzerland.
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