Saturday, December 18, 2004
Some generous offers are just hot air
In a Ha'aretz article by Lili Galili, Lieberman: Transfer Arab areas of J'lem to Palestinians, former minister Avigdor Lieberman (National Union Party) said he supports the transfer of some of Jerusalem's Arab neighborhoods and Israeli Arab communities over to Palestinian control in conjunction with the establishment of a Palestinian state.
"Lieberman's position on the transfer of Arab areas over to Palestinian control is part of his recently-formulated vision for a Jewish state based on ethnic separation from the Palestinians.
-I don't want to pay national insurance to residents of these neighborhoods. The Palestinians should provide them with national insurance, labor representation and the right to strike,- Lieberman said.
Lieberman also said that, unlike left-wing activists back the People's Voice and Geneva Initiative, he is not seeking peace but security and is not seeking a partner for the creation of a Palestinian state but rather a partner for the resolution of what he called "the problem of Arabs in the Land of Israel.
-I don't want to be part of the 'New Middle East,' I want to be a representative of Europe in this region. I am not excited by eating hummus in Damascus but rather prefer walking around in Paris and London.-"
Well, I ask how one can represent Europe if one is in the Middle East? But, the real issue is not whether or not such an event will take place. We all know that is will not. The problem will be the internal Israeli acceptance of two concepts: transfer of Arabs, or in lieu of that, to accept the idea that Arabs within Israeli society are a foreign element and "eating hummus" is something which really cultured and refined people don't do.
Another idea is that there will be "some" concessions to be made, and since Jerusalem will probably gain international status should ever a Palestinian State be created, there is a statement on record for the willingness to concede EVEN PARTS OF JERUSALEM!
If any areas are "given" over to Palestinian governance, we will be certain that they are someplace in the Negev.
