A Modest Proposal for Middle East Peace

Ahh, the wicked problem of the Israeli -Arab conflict. Can there possibly be a solution? I think there is, and this story from the Palestinian Authority sheds new light on it.

Now, normally, when people are placed in a situation where there is extreme lawlessness, an ongoing civil war, massively corrupt and violent leadership and 70% unemployment they usually vote with their feet and go elsewhere, if they can.

Many Palestinians are trying to do just that, and enough of them have tried so that the Palestinian Authority has had it's chief cleric issue a fatwa that forbids `Palestinian' Muslims to emigrate.

According to the above Jerusalem Post story, sources in the Palestinian Authority's Foreign Ministry said that about 10,000 Palestinians have filed requests to emigrate from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the year. They said the requests had been approved. "Every day we hear about hundreds of Palestinians who file requests for emigration with different consulates and diplomatic missions," the sources said. "According to our statistics, there are at least 45,000 emigration applications being reviewed by different countries."

Well, the Palestinian leadership can't have that. Massive immigration would deprive the mob bosses in Fatah and Hamas of the human fodder they thrive on. Imagine, no one to hold hostage as `victims' for all that aid money the Palestinian Authority receives, no one to exploit in the rackets that go on in the Palestinian areas every day..unthinkable!

So what did they do ? Use Islam, of course.

Entitled "No Permission to Emigrate from Palestine," the fatwa reads: "There has been much talk in Palestine about emigration, especially among the young people, due to the difficult security and economic situation. This is being done in search of a better life abroad. Many are continuing to rush to the gates of the embassies and consulates of the Western nations with requests for visas in order to reside permanently in those countries.

"We hereby declare that emigration from the blessed lands is not permitted according to religious law. The people living in these areas must remain in their homes and must not leave them to conquerors. Those who abide by this ruling will perform an honorable deed and will support the Aksa Mosque."

Actually, I have a modest proposal to put out here. A win-win situation, you might say.

Since much of the EU and non-EU countries like Norway continue to be so enamored of the Palestinians, I suggest they issue visas and take these people in forthwith. After all, the countries of the Middle East are pretty much tired of them, especially their `Arab brothers', who've killed and expelled more `Palestinians' then the Israelis ever did., and the Palestinians obviously are lining up to go there. With a little luck, the `Palestinian' leaders can go with them...to provide guidance and political representation, as it were. Thus, the Europeans who have such high regard for these folks can experience the joy of living next to them firsthand.

And the Europeans would get the chance to do what they've always advocated for Israel...make a Sacrifice for Peace.

As an added incentive for the Europeans, most of what's left of Europe's Jews would probably depart, something a great many Europeans would be just fine with and Europe's Jews in Western Europe should probably be thinking about anyway . And with the departure of the Palestinians, there'd be plenty of room for Europe's Jews in the newly vacated Judea, Samaria (AKA the West Bank) and Gaza.

Instead of an international basket case and a breeding grounds for Islamic terrorism, Gaza populated by Jews would go back to being a top area for agricultural production and a tourist resort, while Judea and Samaria would essentially become part of Israeli suburbia, with maybe a little high tech thrown in.

An exchange of populations, a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, if you believe James Baker, the Saudis and the whole crew of Middle East `realists', a surefire solution for peace in the region.

I can't wait to receive my Nobel Prize.