Would Establishing a Palestinian State be an Error?

Every day citizens of the Middle East are faced with questionsconcerning the establishment of a Palestinian state. Some peoplebelieve that creating a Palestinian State will bring peace in theMiddle East. The thought of creating peace in the Middle Eastsounds appealing and desirable, but is that reality?

As a college student, I am not claiming to be an expert on thissubject, but I have researched the issues and different view pointand discussed the issue with a friend of mine from Israel. Theissue is difficult for Americans to relate to, therefore, in orderto take a stance on this view, one must learn the history behindthese Middle Eastern countries and make a decision from the view ofa citizen of the Middle East.

The Jew-Arab conflict retracts way back into history.

Conflicts between the two began before World War II. The Britishcaptured the area that is currently Palestine from Turkey in 1917.The Jewish population increased in this territory because ofHolocaust refugees. During World War II, the Nazis were responsiblefor executing most of the Jewish population.

After World War II, in 1947, the U.N. allowed the Jews to havetheir own state. On Nov. 29, 1947, there was a division made,creating two states; one Jewish and the other Palestinian. Israelwas established as a Jewish state in 1948. Arabs fled from Israelinto Gaza and the West Bank.

Due to the division of the territories, Israel’ssurrounding Arabic states declared war. This war is known as theIndependence War. The Jewish nation defeated the Arabic aggressors.After this war, many of the Palestinian’s, whose land wasconquered by Israel, moved into Jordan, Syria and Egypt.

There was peace in the Middle East until 1967, the start of theSix Day War. The war shifted the balance in the Middle East. Thiswar was between Israel and Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Successfulagain, Israel expanded its territory by capturing the SinaiPeninsula, Gaza, the Golan Heights and the West Bank. Israel alsoregained Jerusalem, and conquered Syria. Israel followed theAmerican demands to end the war and to return Syria and Egypt.After peace talks with Egypt in 1983, Israel agreed to give backSyria, but the Golan still remained in Israel.

A secret peace talk between the Israelis and the Palestinians in1993 resulted with the Oslo Agreement. According to this agreement,”Palestinians gained limited control over Gaza and parts ofthe West Bank” said John T. Rourke in his book, Taking Sides.Yasser Arafat became the authority figure for thisquasi-government. Today the Palestinians live mainly in the WestBank and Gaza.

In 1997 the Israelis and Palestinians discussed issues inMaryland under President Clinton’s supervision. Israel agreedto allow the Palestinians greater control of areas in the WestBank. The Palestinians agreed to help protect Israel from Arabterrorist attacks.

Will there ever be peace between the Israel and the Palestinianterritories? In P.J. Berlyn’s article, “Twelve BadArguments for a State of Palestine,” she gives readers 12reasons why there should not be a separate Palestinian state.Opposing Berlyn is Rosemary E. Shinko, author of, “Why aPalestinian State?”

When learning the pros and cons of this situation, it isimportant to remember that there are both good and bad people inPalestine and in Israel.

There are several reason why it would be an error to establish aPalestinian state:

1. The Palestinians have no unique culture. They are Arabs, butthere are many Arabic territories around that area.

2. The Palestinian people aren’t united. They don’thave strong leadership; they aren’t even capable ofcontrolling their own people.

3. There are many groups living in the Palestine territory. Mostare terrorist groups who want to kill the Jews, thus destroyingIsrael. A state can not be created if it is fueled by hate andrage.

4. Creating a Palestinian state with no real form of governmentwould only lead to a “wasteland with a dictatorship, justlike Iraq and Saddam Hussein,” reports an Israeli militaryman, Nir Siegel.

5. The Palestinian government steals from the people and othergovernments. The money that it is stealing is not being used tocare for their people. Instead, the money is used to improve itsmilitary, or it goes directly into the pockets of the leaders. ThePalestinian people are starving and living on the streets.

Those in favor of a Palestinian state believe that once aPalestinian state is erected there will be peace in the MiddleEast. Shinko states that since the Palestinian people have beendenied recognition in the past, they deserve the right to havetheir own state.

It is important to consider the consequences of creating aPalestinian state. In actuality, how is it going to operate?Shusteff, the author of, The Stillborn Palestinian State, feelsthat a Palestinian state can not exist. “It will be a tickingtime-bomb,” he says. Shusteff also adds that it may be thecause of “Israel’s destruction and potentially evenlead to … World War III.”

Shinko quotes a text, International Politics on the World State,written by Rourke and M. Boyer, “States are territoriallydefined political units that exercise ultimate internalauthority.” If Palestine becomes a sovereign state in theareas of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, it would possess all ofthe same responsibilities that any other sovereign state holds.Shusteff explains what these responsibilities entail; control over”its air and sea space, have an army, independently decidewith which countries to sign treaties, and be completelyresponsible for the defense of its borders.”

Shusteff presents questions that need to be addressed. What isthe persuasive argument about the current situation ofPalestine’s desired land? What will happen to that land onceit is a Palestinian state? As noted from a census taken in July2001, there are currently 1,180,000 people living in Gaza, and2,100,000 people occupying the West Bank. Another key point is that49.6 percent of Gaza’s population and 44.6 percent of theWest Bank’s population is under 15 years old. Therefore, by2050 there will be about 9 million Arabs in Gaza and about 13million Arabs in the West Bank.

Creating a Palestinian state would be like, “shovingseveral million people into two disconnected time parcels of landtotaling 2,268 sq. miles… this area will turn into ahuman-ant hill,” Shusteff says.

Besides the population crisis, the hostile government will alsoface many other domestic problems. The area that is wanted for aPalestinian state does not produce any valuable natural resources,and there is a lack of industry.

The lack of natural resources and the territory’sinsufficient water problem creates a catastrophic ordeal. Theterritory would be impossible to develop or maintain agriculturallyor industrially. The creation of a Palestinian state can onlypromise an affluent amount of diseases, epidemics and, therefore,an increase in the death rate. Allowing humans to live in such apoverty-stricken environment would be inhumane. These occupantswould die from a disease, if not from thirst. If the governmentdecided to invade Israel, they would face self- destruction.

What would happen if the Palestinian government becamehard-workers and were able to overcome all of the obstacles? If thecountry started making money, would the government try to improveupon the quality of life or is the money going to be spent onmilitary equipment?

The idea of an Israeli state and a Palestinian state livingpeacefully side-by-side is ludicrous. Peace will, more than likely,not be the result, and the destruction of both countries and thestart of a third World War is possible.

The areas that border Israel, Gaza and the West Bank serve,together with Israel, as “an inseparable entity,”Shusteff states. If the two territories are taken from Israel toform a Palestinian state, it would be like amputating “aperson’s arm and foot,” describes Shusteff. The personwould survive, but the amputated parts can not survive without thebody. Undoubtedly, if Israel is attacked it will be unable toprotect itself. It would be exposed and vulnerable.

Israel has recently developed medical and scientific advancesthat could benefit the world. It seems preposterous to want totrade this humanitarian country for a “Palestinian entitywhose tyrannical leader has shown actions of pure evil,”author of So, You Want Another Palestinian State?, Emanuel A.Winston says.

Even today, the President of the United States, George W. Bush,and Secretary of State, Colin Powell, have expressed a desire toestablish a Palestinian state. The United States has seen thehorrible destruction that people like Saddam Hussein can arrange.We allowed his people to produce destructive weapons that they usedagainst us. The Iraqi and the Islamic people desire worlddomination, thus, creating a threat to all civilization.

If a Palestinian state were erected, isn’t that asking formore trouble? Currently, Arafat controls the Palestinians, and hedoes so with cruelty similar to Saddam Hussein’s ruling. Itis known that Arafat has already taught the Palestinian children tohate the Jewish Israelis, thus creating a new generation ofterrorists. Winston says that the Palestinian state would”become a laboratory for a new level of Terrorism.” Hebelieves that their scientists would be capable of producingbiological and chemical weapons. Winston also states that, “aState of Palestine will be the incubator for a level of terror thatwill make Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda seem mild bycomparison.” Does President Bush honestly believe that theUnited States will be able to enforce a demilitarized zone within aPalestinian state?