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Sunday, January 31, 2010

Jordan Times Editorial: Clear solution- agree to the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel

http://www.jordantimes.com/index.php?news=23615
Clear solution

His Majesty King Abdullah clearly rejected any role for Jordan in the West Bank beyond supporting the Palestinians in their search for a fair solution to their problem with Israel.

The Monarch also clearly dismissed as unacceptable the idea of Jordanian troops replacing Israeli soldiers in the West Bank.

Reiterating the firm Jordanian position in Davos, where he attended the World Economic Forum, the Monarch also warned the international community about the risk incurred if it continues to ignore the Palestinian situation for much longer.

The solution is clear, achievable and rooted in international legitimacy. All it takes is the will of the international community to force Tel Aviv - the obstinate party - to agree to the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The only tenable way out, the King said, remains the two-state solution. Short of that, and in view of the fact that the Palestinians cannot be expected to stay forever under the Israeli yoke, what could remain on the negotiating table is the one-state solution.

Jordan has been advocating the right of the Palestinians to a state of their own for decades. While King Abdullah, like his father before him, is actively seeking to see peace take root in the region, he also wishes to make it clear that Jordan is not going to become a policeman for the Palestinians.

Jordanian, and Arab, efforts over more than four decades were unsuccessful simply because Israel refuses to see the benefits of peace, for itself and for the region. But while Jordan will endeavour to bring about a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli problem, it will not replace the Palestinians as the prime negotiators for the settlement of their case.

It stands to reason, then, that if all fails, the one-state solution becomes the only option left. This is a big issue for Israel, for no other reason than the demographic changes in its political landscape. Such a solution could also lead to ethnic, religious and political conflicts between the Palestinians and Israel, yet this is exactly what Israel is likely to get itself into by opposing the two-state solution.

It is, therefore, up to Israel to help peace talks move forward and end the age-old conflict with the Palestinians and the Arabs or let the region suffer for more decades, to the detriment of all.


1 February 2010



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